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The possibility of a spouse losing control over his or her partner's remains is a real problem, especially in states where marriage equality hasn't yet been achieved. Silverman told me his organization was approached by a woman in Florida whose husband was a transgender man. Because their marriage wasn't legal on paper in the state of Florida, his family was able to take control of his body. Both his death certificate and burial documents now list him as female. Because nobody in the woman's immediate social circle knew that he was transgender, Silverman told me she made the tough decision to not pursue the matter further. "It was a terribly traumatic situation, [but] it's not clear that fighting back would have been successful.""In life, transgender people face tremendous hurdles in trying to get accurate identification reflecting their true identities. In death, that's no different."
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"Enter male or female based on observation. Do not abbreviate or use other symbols. If sex cannot be determined after verification with medical records, inspection of the body, or other sources, enter 'Unknown.' Do not leave this item blank."
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