In Honor of Pride Month

Legal Services represented the mother of John*, a transgender child, in obtaining a name change for her son. John needed to change his name to one that matched his male gender identity. Having a feminine legal name that was inconsistent with his gender identity caused John anxiety, embarrassment and exacerbated his gender dysphoria. Every time someone used John's legal name, Kathy*, John was effectively outed. Being outed subjected John to discrimination and harassment from his peers and others around him.

Although John's mother is very supportive of her LGBTQ son, sadly the same was not true of John's father. The father initially refused to consent to the name change. Fortunately, after Legal Services Staff Attorney Pamela Flores served John's father with the petition explaining why the name change was in John's best interest, John's father had a change of heart and consented to John's name change. With both parent's consent, the Court granted John's name change. John felt so relieved and proud to finally have a name and identity that is consistent with who he is. Now, John can be his true self and live his life authentically without fear or anxiety of being outed at any moment. He is graduating high school next year and wants to pursue his goal of being a neuropsychologist.

Legal Services is honored to have assisted John and his family, and proudly continues to serve as an advocate for parents of transgender children. If you or someone you know needs assistance with name or gender marker changes, CLICK HERE or call 305-576-0080 to apply for services.

*Client’s name changed to protect confidentiality.