Why we do it:

Women are already facing obstacles to obtaining RealID or other official documents if they can’t track every name difference since birth. This is partly fallout from the war on transgender Americans (when they attack gender minorities, women are ALWAYS fallout — remember that!) It is also part of the GOP plan to return women to marital subservience. Some are now saying out loud that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote.

You need these documents in-hand for things like Passport applications or RealID. Some voter registration initiatives could also require authentication that you are the person on the birth certificate. Those rules could change quickly, and it takes weeks or even months to get certified copies of your documents.

Certified copies are NOT something you can make copies of. They come with an embossed or colored seal from the state. If you will be applying for a Passport, consider getting two. You’ll have to mail them off, and while they normally return, sometimes they don’t.