Mr. Darrin Matthews:

I am a board member of TENI and I run the Cork Transgender Peer Support Group. I am a transgender man. I came out to my family and friends when I was 17 years old. When I came out it was my choice, but when I fill out a legal document that seeks my birth name and personal public service, PPS, number I lose that choice. I must add my legal name change with my birth certificate every time I fill out a grant application or any form from the Government. Every time this happens I hope the person reading my documentation and making a decision will not discriminate against me based on my transgender status. A woman from the disability allowance office rang me to ask why my name had changed from a female name to a male name. When I told her it was because I was transgender she laughed at me and hung up the telephone. When I go out and am asked for my passport as identification to get into a premises I am sometimes turned away because my gender marker is still "F" and both my birth certificate name and my current name are printed on it.

Everybody has a right to a private life. I would like my right to be recognised. Issuing new birth certificates could easily do this and prevent embarrassment, harassment and potentially dangerous situations. My experience of being transgender does not just affect me. It also affects my family. I have an amazingly supportive and loving family. My mother put herself into almost €12,000 of debt so she could send me to private school because I was bullied for two years in my State school. She took out a loan to send me to a school where I could be called Darrin, not wear a girl's uniform and be happy. Every member of staff and every student called me Darrin instead of derogatory and cruel names.

I have many friends who are straight, gay and transgender. If a gay friend came to me and told me they had received their official diagnosis of homosexuality, I would be shocked and appalled. Homosexuality was decriminalised 19 years ago and people now cannot imagine a time when it was illegal. Most people do not know that transgender people must be diagnosed with a psychiatric illness to access treatment in this country because it such a inconceivable and ridiculous notion and is discriminatory in nature. I do not believe that because I was born in the wrong body it automatically means I have a mental illness. There is still stigma attached to having a mental health issue in this country and to force a psychiatric condition onto another human being can have detrimental effects on that person's self image and self esteem. When a couple apply for a civil partnership they are not asked for their gay diagnoses to prove their homosexuality. I had to prove I was happier as the man I should have always been to my mother, my siblings and my friends, and I had to prove I had a psychiatric illness. I should not have to prove anything to a complete stranger and seek their acceptance. I do not have to prove I am transgender enough for anybody.

My mother once asked if I was really sure that being Darrin was what I wanted. When I told her I could not go back and be happy, she just said, "Then we can only go forward my son." I always knew transitioning would never be easy, but please do not make it any harder than it already is. All I want is to be treated as an equal and with respect and dignity, as a non-transgender person would be. I want nothing more and nothing less.