A transgender woman is locked in an ongoing battle with a bank after staff refused to let her do business over the phone because "she sounds like a man".
Ellen Westerleigh was also sent a new bank card containing 'Mr' rather than 'Miss' despite informing her bank on many occasions that she now identifies as a woman.
She was furious when HSBC refused to transfer money from her account even though she passed security questions, reports NottinghamshireLive.
She was told she would have to go into a branch - the nearest one being Nottingham city centre - to make any transactions in the future.
She said: "I opened the account in October last year. I had to order a new card and they sent a card that said 'Mr' rather than 'Miss.' They said it was an error.
"Every time I ring up to speak about my account they say I 'don't sound like a woman.' I have to prove who I am and I shouldn't be having to do that.
"I know I sound like a man but that is not the point. I do feel uncomfortable ringing up my bank. It has happened three or four times and it is ridiculous.
"It has got to a point where I have to go into my branch and show my ID, and I do not live near my branch. The nearest is the city centre."
Miss Westerleigh, 22, from Strelley, Nottinghamshire, who used to be known as Kurtis, changed her identity last September. She had known for a while that she felt uncomfortable as a male.
"I grew up with two sisters and it was obvious. I always wanted to put on dresses or play with their toys. In September, I thought it was time to be true to myself."
She said friends and family had been very supportive and she was currently waiting for hormone therapy and a sex change.
She changed her name to Ellen, because she is inspired by the American television host Ellen Degeneres. She just hopes that her bank will become more accepting.
"When I speak to them on the phone it ruins their image," she added. "It gets to the point where I have told them several times 'I am transgender.'
"It is in my file. I should not have to keep saying it.
"They do not take the trans community seriously. They just think we are not that gender."
HSBC said the customer care team is currently reviewing Miss Westerleigh’s complaint and have recently made changes to their systems and training to support transgender customers.
A spokesman for HSBC UK said: "We are very sorry for the disappointing level of service experienced by Miss Westerleigh, and are committed to learning from this to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.
"We are a proud and active supporter of customers and colleagues across the broad spectrum of diversity of sexuality and gender identity.
"We want everyone to be able to access simple and smart banking solutions that work for them, and we will continue working with our LGBT+ colleagues and customers to ensure we’re getting it right."
