On January 8, General Hospital doc Cassandra James shared via Instagram that she’d reached “a major milestone as a trans person! I finally got a new, gender-affirmed passport!
“Bureaucracy is challenging for all of us, forms and paperwork and red tape, but for so many trans folks, it can be really demoralizing and difficult,” she added. “Although I had support and managed to process my name and gender marker change through a court order here in Los Angeles in 2017, it took me seven years to get to this moment, to finally get an internationally recognized travel document that aligns with me authentically.”

That may not sound like a big deal to someone who is cisgender, but that’s only because they’ve never had to leap such a hurdle — or deal with its ramifications. Terry’s portrayer, who in the past has dealt with transphobia even among the General Hospital cast, explained it better than we ever could. “This is so major for trans people, who are constantly evaluating which environments and places are safe for us, who have so many extra obstacles to navigate just to exist and move freely,” she said. “This document is so much more than an object I’ll use to finally come home to Canada. It represents vulnerability, resilience, perseverance through endless hold times and dated websites, application rejections and money orders.

“So much of the violence we are navigating as a community,” she added, “has to do with limiting our access to resources and public spaces. This passport is a beacon, and every time I see a trans person post their new passport online, I know what a win this is for that person, for us as a family.”

On your way to the comments to send James your congratulations, scroll through the below photo gallery to celebrate more out-and-proud LGBTQ+ stars.

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