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Mastercard Just Made a Landmark Policy Change for Trans Customers

Transgender Mastercard holders no longer have to wait for a legal name change to receive a credit card that reflects their identity.

Mastercard will now allow transgender people to obtain bank cards or credit cards that accurately reflect their names, even if they've yet to pursue a legal name change.

According to the Associated Press, the trans-inclusive policy update is part of Mastercard's ongoing efforts to eliminate discrimination at the cash register. Previously, trans or gender nonconforming Mastercard holders could only obtain credit cards with their chosen name after legally changing their name.

That legal process can be lengthy and comes with fees to boot. In fact, three states in the U.S.—Tennessee, Kansas, and Ohio—actively bar transgender residents from changing the gender markers on their legal documents to reflect their gender identity. Under the Trump administration, transgender Americans have also reported serious issues with attaining gender-affirming IDs, including having their passports retroactively revoked by the State Department with requests to "prove" that they've transitioned.

Meanwhile, a 2015 survey found that more than 30% of trans people who had to show an ID with a name or gender marker that didn't reflect their outward presentation experienced discrimination.

This type of discrimination extends beyond the cash register, too. Last summer, Charlotte Clymer, a transgender activist and HRC communications team member, was asked to show ID to use the women's restroom at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. When she refused, she was kicked out.

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Mastercard

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 17: NYC Commission on Human Rights and Mastercard Host #AcceptanceMatters Panel and Unveil “Acceptance Street” During WorldPride 2019 on June 17, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Mastercard)

Mastercard and the NYC Commission on Human Rights unveiling "Acceptance Street" on June 17.

"When we were alerted to this [kind of prejudice], we realized we could do something about it," Raj Seshadri, president of U.S. issuers for Mastercard, told the AP.

Now, trans Mastercard holders can forgo the legal processes, obtaining a credit card that reflects their chosen name even if it isn't the same name on their birth certificate, passport, or other state-issued ID document.

The banks that issue credit cards are responsible for implementing this policy change—and on Monday, June 17, the company called on them to do so, citing the harmful effects of gender-based discrimination.

In honor of WorldPride 2019, Mastercard also teamed up with the New York City Commission on Human Rights to unveil a new Pride-themed installation in the West Village. The company rebranded the neighborhood's iconic Gay Street as "Acceptance Street," including a commemorative street sign with rainbow-hued pennants for different identities underneath the LGBTQ umbrella.

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