u/psychoticboydyke

I am writing this on behalf of my partner who doesn't have a Reddit account.

My partner is a transgender woman who is a citizen of Japan, resident of the UK on ILR. She has updated her name and gender on documents such as her UK drivers license, bank details, educational qualifications, etc using her deedpoll and doctor's note confirming gender dysphoria and a lived transition.

She is unsure if she is able to change her legal name and gender on her eVisa as Japan does not allow this change for it's citizens without sterilisation and sex reassignment surgery, a requirement that is restricting, expensive, and physically challenging. This would mean her name and sex on her eVisa does not match that on her passport.

Online guidance does not specify about changes of legal gender markers. If anyone is familiar if this is allowed or how it can be done please let me know as she would enjoy the freedom of being able to apply for work and housing without outing herself as transgender to her future employer or landlord.

I have a Gambian father and a British mother, I was born in the UK. I know my dad and I have met him but he has never been a big part of my life. I have probably met him less than 10 times. He also has another kid in Gambia but he lives in the UK. Having only one physically present parent, especially the white one, has impacted my childhood a lot. I grew up in rural England so never had anyone who looked like me or anyone I could come to to talk about my identity, culture, and racism I was experiencing. I feel it must be even worse to have a Father in a completely different, and much richer country.

I met another Gambian in my town and the first thing he asked when I told him my dad is Gambian was "do you know your dad?". And I then realised that this might not just be a me problem.

Is this common? If so, why?

I have hyperpigmentation and have been trying to find a mineral sunscreen that works for me for months, every product I've found is either not available here, too expensive or has incompatible ingredients with my skin. We don't have EltaMD, Vanicream, Black Girls, Kinlo, TiZO, or CoTZ. We have Supergoop (£40 a bottle) and Beauty of Joseon (made my skin feel dry and cakey and takes ages to dry). I don't even think there is a single black owned skincare brand available here apart from Topicals.

My only feesible option now is Good Molecules, which MAY clog my pores due to the tucuma seed butter but I will try, or importing. On top of that, for some reason half of the American brands products like CeraVe and La Roche-Posay aren't available here either. I really wish retailers would start stocking more on products for black skin. I really don't want to have to wait weeks for international shipping, which is still somehow cheaper than Supergoop, for something as simple as a sunscreen.

If you're British and have any other recommendations, please please help me out 🙏