Transgender man's name change denied

[deadparrot]

A transgender Rochester man must provide medical evidence to justify his request to change his first name from Sarah to Evan, a local judge has ruled.

Allowing Sarah Rockefeller to change his name without evidence "would be fraught with danger of deception and confusion and contrary to the public interest," State Supreme Court Justice William P. Polito, citing a 1976 law journal article, said in his ruling.

Polito on Friday ruled for the second time against Rockefeller's request for the name change. The ruling has sparked the involvement of the American Civil Liberties Union, which argues that the ruling places an unnecessary burden of proof on transgender individuals that isn't required of others.

Sarah Rockefeller filed paperwork on Nov. 17 to have his name changed to Evan Rockefeller, "which he believes better reflects his male gender identity," according to court records.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS01/607120346

[pitohui]

1. huh well that's odd

i know a woman in mississippi, who went from male to female, had no trouble at all getting a name change, altho she joked a bit abt feeling apprehensive abt explaining this to the dept. of motor vehicles

they didn't even lift an eyebrow apparently

mississippi more sophisticated than new york?

[Scribe]

2. What if she became the artist formerly known as Sarah?

[IndianaGreen]

3. There is a lot of prejudice against the transgender

even in the LGBT community.

[readmoreoften]

5. OH yea there is. /nt

[benburch]

4. My friend had no problem.

Illinois granted her name change and gave her no problems with her driver's license or anything else.

[readmoreoften]

6. Most transmen don't get bottom surgery.

It is dangerous and useless and has nothing to do with many transmen's gender expression. You shouldn't be forced to have certain genital surgeries to prove to the state that you can change your name.

I fear for this young man when the REAL ID comes out in 2008. Try getting through airport security with a beard, no breasts and the name "sarah" on your ticket.

[Ilsa]

12. The security issues alone should be enough to prove to a

judge the necessity of getting the name change. There will be plenty of folk in bofunk texas (which will have an airport) that won't even understand what "transgendered" means.

[fudge stripe cookays]

16. There are Bofunks EVERYWHERE.

My aunts are from Chicago, and THEY don't know what it is.

Let's not start the Texas bashing again, shall we?

[Ilsa]

19. I live deep in the heart of Bofunk Texas.

It's my point of reference. I woudn't want to defame Bofunk IL as I don't know much about it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

22. I know you're in Texas.

We've talked before.

But it just seemed like a narrow-minded thing to say when most of us are usually up in arms anytime someone bashes our home state.

We've got our problems too, but every state has its ignorant people. Why pick on us?

[Ilsa]

23. It wasn't an intentional picking on Texas. If I'm writing something

resembling an address, I tend to put a state's initials in it. I'd just as soon put my own state's than mention another. I suppose I should write "Bofunk US" instead so people don't have a cow over this. Of course, then folks in small cities like mine will think I'm picking on them.

[fudge stripe cookays]

24. There ya go.

That's a good idea. But I think that there are far fewer people in small towns that would take it personally than would us Texans, whom everyone knows...get our feathers ruffled pretty often around here. With good reason, most of the time!

I wasn't trying to be a pain. I'm having an exceptionally frustrating day at work. Didn't mean to take it out on you.

/cow

[Ilsa]

25. I hate it when that happens!

Crappy days and all. I'm home with the kdis from summer, and my oldest is going through alot with his autism, which means we are too.

Here's some cyber hugs for my fellow Tx-DUer! :pals: :hug: :pals: :hug: :pals: :hug: :pals: :hug: Here ya go: :donut:

[readmoreoften]

35. I'm in Texas, too. And my TG partner is a Texan!

We even get crap in NYC. There's no idyll for the transgendered yet.

[Zhade]

36. That's lame. I think transpeople are very interesting.

And not in a "hey, a freak show" way, in a "what a cool version of humanity, I'd like to know their persepctive of things" way.

I wouldn't give ya crap, it's all good in my book!

[readmoreoften]

37. I guess I know enough transfolk to feel the opposite!

Sometimes I'm like, shet the hell up ya bastard I heard this story a million times!

(Not my guy, though. S/he's the best. I've been madly in love for over three years now. Hope it keeps up.)

[fudge stripe cookays]

38. Thanks!

Hugs rule!

Only in this job for five months.

Yesterday I felt like punching someone and stalking out. Nothing like spending three months of your life working 12-14 hour days (including weekends), creating a beautiful new User Guide (that is actually usable...not like it used to be-a large ugly paperweight), then having them constantly bitch about the larger page count and "too much white space." Cost savings, and them having to consider a larger box to put it in. Never mind that the customers can actually find the information they need in it now.

Instead...they'd rather have it look like a junior high school kid's science project so they can save a few bucks. Well, if you want to do that, do it. But it's not going out with MY name on it. You want I should just give my notice now?

Ggggggggrrrrrrr.....

[UpInArms]

13. in the 70s, I knew a man (who was 50+ at the time) with the name

of Shirley

:eyes:

Some parents should just not share their sense of humor :D

[mumon]

43. It's the Johnny Cash song

"A boy named Sue" all over again...

[mockmonkey]

7. Two weeks ago in Wisconsin

My S.O. changed his name from a female name to a male name and it went so smoothly I couldn't believe it. Social Security, Department of Motor Vehicles and even the Bank changed it without much ado.

We did have a letter from my S.O.'s therapist just in case we needed it but nobody gave us any trouble. I feel sorry that Evan has had to go up against an idiot judge. There is enough stress in the transition, you don't need this crap.

I have heard from the therapist that the Department of Homeland Security is causing some problems with Gender changes in Social Security but I'm not sure of the details.

[Bucky]

8. See they're trying to save us from all those transgender terrorists who...

... um... are... um.... out there trying to... uh... burn flags! Yeh, that's it! Flag burning TGs.

(Looks to me like we're gonna need us a coupla more constitutional amendments)

[lindisfarne]

9. This is ridiculous. We don't dictate what parents name there kids and

there are plenty of confusing names out there.

[gratuitous]

14. I disagree -- this isn't silly at all!

This judge is standing four-square in the breach, protecting the United States from total anarchy! Anarchy, I tell you! If Sarah is allowed to become Evan, what's next? Girls named George? Boys named Sue? We're talking chaos of biblical proportions!

Thank God for giving us men of such perspicacity as Judge Dingbat (a little suggested name change of my own).

[Rhiannon12866]

10. This is just silly. Anyone can change their name, for whatever reason.

And there are a lot sillier names, and a lot sillier reasons...:shrug:

[Hekate]

11. Back in the 70s when women started keeping their birth names...

... the issue of legal name-changing got some press. Taking one's husband's name is merely custom, and not a universal one at that (Scandinavian and Asian immigrants to the US thought it was odd, for instance). So, if a woman wanted to buck US custom and keep her birth name, there was no legal bar at all.

Which led to the next question: Do you have to go to court and pay a lawyer if you want to change your name? Answer: NO. As long as there is no intent to defraud, an adult can change his or her name simply by writing to banks, credit card companies, the DMV and the Social Security Administration. Tell people your new name and use it.

Fast forward 30 years to post-9-11 and identity thieves -- the legal culture has actually gotten more anal-retentive than ever, so it might be a bit more difficult than that.

But as far as I know you are absolutely right, Rhiannon. If all that's involved is a name change, it's stupid of the courts to make any kind of issue about it. I know getting gender changed on documents is difficult -- but a name?

Hekate

[Rhiannon12866]

28. I'm always a little shocked when I hear that a woman has changed her name,

these days, since it seems to me that she's giving up her identity, and I know of almost no one who has. If you change your name, then you kind of just disappear. I've found old friends, from school or camp, or they've found me. If we didn't have the same names, we would have been lost forever...:-(

When I was a kid, I didn't think I could get ever married, because I didn't want to have a different name, LOL! But, so far, I still haven't...:D

And my friend and roommate from school had an odd situation. When she was 18, she was in the process of legally changing her name because the name that was written on her birth certificate was not the one that her parents gave her. Apparently, her grandmother filled out whatever you have to fill out, and got it wrong. Her parents named her Eugenie, but her birth certificate said Eugenia. So, until the name change came through, Eugenia was still her legal name and she had to use it on anything official...:shrug:

And given all the strange or just ridiculous names that people seem to choose, these days (Prince is a good example...:eyes:), it makes no sense for any court to challenge this one.:crazy:

[Hekate]

29. I ended up taking my husband's name -- both times

The first time (1972) I struggled with it and finally decided to take his name and use my birth name in the middle. The second time (1987) my 2 kids from the first marriage joined my new husband in opining that having three surnames in the house was too much for one family. I lasted about 2 weeks after the wedding before changing everything over. Tsk. I still use my birth name in the middle, though. :eyes:

My younger sister has kept her name through thick and thin, which I admire, though our mother insists on annoying her by addressing letters and parcels to Mr. & Mrs. His Name. Other than that, the only place she's had difficulty asserting her own name has been New Jersey.

I hope my daughter will keep her own name now, which she resumed after her divorce several years ago.

But everyone has to make their own peace.

Hekate

[Rhiannon12866]

40. It's a complicated issue, but is becoming simpler, since women

have more choices in each succeeding generation. It's a simple choice for me, and woman can fortunately make their own choices, these days, like your daughter. :-)

And I know what you mean about your mother. Mine mother's the same, addressing everything to my cousin, who didn't change her name, either, to Mr. & Mrs. His name, as well.:-(

What drives me nuts are the serial name changers. There was one woman at work who had used her husband's name, got divorced and changed it back to her own, then got married again, and assumed yet another last name. Everyone just lost track and referred to her as Brenda Manynames.:crazy:

I have a friend who, at last count, was looking at marriage number five.:wow: Beyond my comprehension...:eyes: But I'll never lose track of her, since she's never changed her name and never will. BTW, her last name is Smith.:rofl:

Rhiannon:hi:

[shrike]

39. In your world, maybe

Where I live (red-state Midwest) nobody keeps their own name after marriage. Which means everyone assumes me and the husband either live together (we're approaching our 10-year anniversary) or that his last name is mine, or that I have one name professionally and one socially. (I don't. My name is my name.)
People still get weirded out about the situation, and after 10 years I still find myself asked to explain why I chose to keep it. (Actually, Hubby suggested it: "Your name sounds better as is," he said. "Why change it?") And don't get me started about our insurance carrier, and the people who INSIST on calling me by what they say is my "married" name . . .

[Rhiannon12866]

41. I admire you for making your own choices, faced with this.

I thought that this type of confusion was a thing of the past. My favorite college professor faced the same kind of prejudice. She was married, but had kept her name. She finally decided to go the hyphenation route when people assumed that they were just cohabiting. However, this was back in the '70s.:shrug:

The only solution that I can think of to deal with this kind of prejudice is just to behave as if the people who don't get it, like your insurance carrier, are the benighted ones, which, IMHO, they are.:eyes:

I once ran into a former grade school teacher, who I recognized, and we had an annoying conversation. I reminded her of who I was and she acted surprised that I still had the same last name that I'd had in the fifth grade. She said it's still F*****?! I was with my brother, who was annoyed on my behalf, and he snapped back, Yes! And it's still Rhiannon!:rofl:

Your're fortunate that your husband is enlightened, but he'd have to be a great guy, if he's the one you chose. Most guys I know feel exactly the same way, and it's just not an issue, here in the blue-state NE.:-)

Rhiannon:hi:

[shrike]

42. Yes, I lived for a time in the Northeast

And it really was a different world. I remember returning to the Midwest, in my late 20s, and everyone was just astonished that I wasn't married. I mean, astonished. And most of the women I knew back East were unmarried, stayed unmarried until their 30s and it was no big deal.
Thanks for the kind words -- I guess it's stubborness more than anything.

[htuttle]

15. You mean, I wouldn't be allowed to change my name to 'Sue' or 'Loretta'?

How about 'Pat? Or 'Chris'?

Just where would I find the legal classification of names by gender, if I were inclined to browse the list?

[geomon666]

17. He should've changed his name to a toy.

Like this soldier did:

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=3828

National guardsman changed his name to a toy

CUYAHOGA FALLS -- A member of Ohio's 5694th National Guard Unit in Mansfield legally changed his name to a Transformers toy.

Optimus Prime is heading out to the Middle East with his guard unit on Wednesday to provide fire protection for airfields under combat.

"On Sunday, we were announced as the best firefighting unit in the Army National Guard in the entire country," said Prime. "That was a big moment for us."

Prime took his name from the leader of the Autobots Transformers, which were popular toys and a children's cartoon in the 1980s.

He legally changed his name on his 30th birthday and now it's on everything from his driver's license, to his military ID, to his uniform.

[Blue_Tires]

30. wow...

equal parts badass, funny, and nerdy

[David__77]

18. Horrible... he should pick a gender-neutral name in the interim perhaps...

The judge should be strung up.

[Ilsa]

20. "Who's that?" "That's Pat!" eom

[Gormy Cuss]

21. Now if he asked to change his first name to 'Nelson,' or 'John D."

the judge's point might be valid. If I lived in that area I'd be happy to petition Judge Polito for a name change that implied a different gender, just to see how he ruled.

[Laughing Mirror]

33. Plainly the judge is biased against Rockefeller women...

becoming Rockefeller men.

Where have all the nobles gone?

[ThomCat]

26. This says more about the judge than it does about law.

This judge is obviously a bigoted dick.

[Auntie Bush]

27. So was he one of those "Liberal" judges? I doubt it.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

31. This is absurd.

My trans friends all live down south in red areas and none of them have had name change issues. I'm shocked this is happening in NYS. That judge needs to join modern society. However, I do give kudos to the author of the article for using male pronouns for Evan.

[Mongeaux]

32. Boy Named "Sue"?

Johnny Cash was a pioneer!

[Laughing Mirror]

34. Yep. Life ain't easy for a boy named Sue...

or a man named Sarah Rockefeller.