Real ID, Real Progress

Every small win is worth celebrating

Mar 12, 2025

Note: This is a sequel to an earlier article “Real ID, Real Problems”.

After two weeks of anxious waiting, I came home from work to a plain white envelope in my mailbox. My heart pounded as I pulled it out—I had a feeling this was it. My new state ID. But would it still reflect who I am? Would I open it and find regret?

My hands trembled as I opened the envelope, carefully unfolding its contents to see if my gender marker had been reverted back to F. Even though it's a state-issued document, a REAL ID is also federally recognized. I did not know if Trump’s executive order would also directly impact REAL IDs, and concrete answers were nonexistent. All the stories I’ve read and heard within the community were mixed. Some people received passports with the correct gender marker while others did not.

As I unfolded the paper, there it was. My new state ID with a black M as my gender marker. Relief flooded through me, followed by a wave of trans joy as I exhaled—not only was my gender marker correct, but my new photo actually looked amazing. It was good to know that I won’t be cringing every time the situation called for me to present it.

The best part about this is that I will be able to leave my passport at home when I fly domestically. If I lose my passport, I would have to order a replacement that’s going to have an F as my gender marker.