Baja

Today I was tired from being awakened last night at about 1 am by a 5.2 on the Richter scale earthquake that hit near Borrego Springs.  So, I did my 10,000+ steps, but I only walked 4.46 miles.  But, that took me a total of 117 miles from my home (virtually speaking again), past the Aeropuerto Internacional de Mexicali, on the way eventually toward Washington D.C. on foot.  Okay, the airport by Mexicali is not really a scenic spot, but it was something to see other than the desert of northern Baja. 

CLICK HERE to see what the road looks like where I "am" right now on the road.  (not real exciting)

Baja, in general, is known for chaparral consisting of chamise, manzanita, laurel sumac, sage, and other plants, giving way at lower elevations to a coastal scrub of agave, cliff spurge, buckeye, buckwheat, and bladderpod. Plants in the Cape region are closely related to those of the nearest areas on the mainland, with complex communities of cacti, yuccas, and various shrubs and trees like palo blanco and palo verde at low elevations. Between these northern and southern areas, many familiar desert plants are found, including ocotillo, ironwood, creosote bush, mesquite, agave, and various cacti, including the infamous jumping cholla. See: http://www.baja-web.com/history/bajaliving.html

In addition, I'm on the lookout for  coyotes and roadrunners.  Apparently, there are also mule deer, mountain lion, bighorn sheep, antelope, foxes, rabbits, bobcats, skunks, badgers, raccoons, ring-tailed cats, ground squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, mice, and rats, plus feral cats, pigs, and goats. Given Baja's dry, hot climate, many reptile species inhabit the peninsula, including, of course, rattlesnakes, the whiptail, king, and gopher snakes, and numerous iguanids, geckos, and lizards. Tree frogs, salamanders, pond turtles, and toads can be found in the localized riparian environments where water can be found.  Also, over 400 species of birds live in, breed in, or pass through Baja and over its surrounding waters.

So, while I'm still in Mexico, so to speak, let's look at what Mexico's laws are for trans people.  As far as same-sex marriage is concerned, apparently, it's legal, but it's not as easy to do as a heterosexual marriage, as couples have to request a jurisdiction from a judge, which can take awhile.  But, as my spouse and I are already married, that's not really an issue for me.  As for transgender rights, specifically, on March 13, 2004, amendments to the Mexico City Civil Code were enacted that allow transgender people to change the sex and name recorded in their birth certificates, even those who have not had genital surgery yet.

Birth certificates and other ID papers (like, in Mexico, voter identification cards) are very important in Latin American countries, as they are needed for almost all transactions involving the individual civil and political rights. For example, without a birth certificate you cannot obtain a voter identification card, and without that one you can not purchase or rent a home, be legally employed, obtain a passport, attend school, vote, qualify for government funded financial assistance, or be treated in public hospitals. Not having ID papers, or having ID papers that contradict one's appearance, can be invoked as a reason for arrest – with the consequent risk of extortion and abuse at the hands of police.  

The law forbids any form of discrimination based on "sexual preferences" but also on "appearance, mannerism, and expression of one's sexual preference or gender". 
(see https://www.outrightinternational.org/content/mexico-mexico-city-amends-civil-code-include-transgender-rights)

Wow, that's really something!  Even in California, you have to have genital surgery before you can have your birth certificate amended (I stand corrected, as things have changed now, according to Zander's comment.  Surgery used to be required), and there are many states in the United States that, even if you have had genital surgery, they will not allow a change in the birth certificate (Still true).  Well, well.... "Viva Mexico!" on this point!

Lambda Legal has state-by-state guidelines for changing birth certificates in the United States.  The Transgender Law Center also has some helpful resources, as well as the National Center for Transgender Equality has an Identity Documents Center.

Apparently, "in the hinterlands," some people are still not as progressive or accepting of gay or trans people (after all, Mexico is predominantly Catholic too).  So, I am encouraged by Mexico's progress, but I would be careful while walking in the "hinterlands" of northern Baja.