What are my options if I want to do a name change? And what about my gender marker?

Written by Michael V. Lauro, Jr. Michael V. Lauro, Jr.

Last Updated: April 20, 2017 April 20, 2017

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This article is meant to provide some basic information on questions I get asked all the time by transgender people and their families about name and gender changes.  I hope you find this article helpful.

Read more: What are my options if I want to do a name change? And what about my gender marker?

2015 U.S. Transgender Survey

Written by Michael V. Lauro, Jr. Michael V. Lauro, Jr.

Last Updated: April 07, 2017 April 07, 2017

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The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey is a new report from the National Center for Transgender Equality.  You can read the report and watch at watch a video recording of the release event at http://www.ustranssurvey.org/.

"With almost 28,000 respondents, the U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) is the largest survey ever devoted to the lives and experiences of trans people. The staff of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the rest of the USTS team are thrilled to share the results of the USTS with you." (NCTE)

The main report page includes the complete report, executive summary, and reports for individual states which are currently being added as they are processed.  The report for Arkansas has been released.

Collected Responses of LGBT Rights Groups to 2016 Presidential Election

Written by Michael V. Lauro, Jr. Michael V. Lauro, Jr.

Last Updated: November 27, 2016 November 27, 2016

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Official Responses

Our Family Coalition

• Come together tonight: Post-election gathering in San Francisco (November 9, 2016) [web]

Family Equality Council (familyequality.org)

• Promise of Continued Resolve Towards Full LGBT Equality (November 9, 2016)  [web | pdf]

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU / aclu.org)

• If Donald Trump Implements His Proposed Policies, We’ll See Him in Court (November 9, 2016) [web]

Lambda Legal (lambdalegal.org)

• We Are Here To Stay (November 9, 2016) [web]
• Post-Election FAQ (November 15, 2016) [web]

National LGBTQ Task Force (thetaskforce.org)

• You Are Not Alone (November 9, 2016) [web]

GLAD Legal Advocates and Defender for the LGBT Community (GLAD / glad.org)

• Coming Together, Moving Forward (November 9, 2016) [web | pdf]
• A Letter to Transgender Youth and Families (November 11, 2016) [web | pdf]
• A Few Quick Answers on Marriage and Parenting in the Wake of the Election (November 11, 2016) [web]
• FAQ: How Might the Incoming Presidential Administration Impact the LGBTQ Community? (November 15) [web]

Transgender Law Center (TLC / transgenderlawcenter.org)

• We Survive.  We Resist. (November 9, 2016) [web] (A letter from Transgender Law Center executive director Kris Hayashi on the results of the 2016 election and where we go from here.)

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR / nclrights.org)

• We Will Fight On (November 9, 2016) [web] Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.
• Now that Trump Has Been Elected, Can Our Marriage Be Undone? (November 11, 2016) [web] By Shannon Minter, Esq., NCLR Legal Director

National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE / transequality.org).

• Staying Strong, Fighting Harder (November 9, 2016). [web]  Statement from Mara Keisling on the Election of Donald Trump.
• Anti-LGBT Extremists Help Lead President-Elect Trump's Transition (November 14, 2016). [web]
• NCTE Condemns Selection of Hateful Extremist Bannon to Top White House Post (November 15, 2016). [web]

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC / splcenter.org)

• White Nationalists and the Alt-Right Celebrate Trump’s Victory (November 9, 2016). [web]
• With the election of Donald Trump, we're facing a new reality (November 9, 2016). [web]

Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF / transgenderlegal.org)

• Statement from TLDEF Executive Director Jillian Weiss on the Presidential Election: Resilience (November 11, 2016) [web]

Freedom to Marry (freedomtomarry.org)

• Freedom to Marry Founder Evan Wolfson on Results of 2016 Election (November 11, 2016) [web] 

Positive Outlooks

We hope that the new administration can and will grow in their knowledge and understanding of LGBT human rights.  As history has proven time and again, our community grows stronger in moments of challenge. (FamilyEquality.org)

Why We Shouldn't Worry About Our Marriages (NCLR)

There is no realistic possibility that anyone’s marriage will be invalidated. The law is very strong that if a marriage is valid when entered, it cannot be invalidated by any subsequent change in the law. So people who are already married should not be concerned that their marriages can be taken away. To the contrary, it is important that they continue to live their lives as married couples. Looking forward for individuals who are not currently married but who may wish to marry in the future, we also think it is highly unlikely that the fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry will be challenged or that the Supreme Court would revisit its 2015 holding that same-sex couples have that fundamental right. The doctrine of stare decisis—which means that courts generally will respect and follow their own prior rulings—is also very strong, and the Supreme Court very rarely overturns an important constitutional ruling so soon after issuing it. In addition, while the new administration is very conservative, neither Donald Trump nor anyone associated with his campaign has indicated any intention to try to turn back the clock on the freedom to marry, and the great majority of Americans now strongly support marriage equality. (NCLR)

Welcome to the Resistance. (GLAD)

Our community has faced challenging times before. But we know how to fight. We’ve heard from many of you over the last few days who are understandably feeling shock, grief, and uncertainty...But we’re also hearing incredible statements of resilience and resolve.

We’re committed to protecting the civil rights that our constitution promises all of us. We have experience and resources to share and we will do everything we can to prevent a new administration from reversing hard-won gains. Even though we are in a very different political world, and there will be challenges ahead, bedrock nondiscrimination laws remain and the federal and state courts are open to all of us. GLAD will ensure the robust enforcement of those laws and will fight to protect the community when those laws are broken.

And we know you’re with us in the fight. Together, we’re resisting and rejecting homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, and misogyny, and we’re ready to move forward as one justice movement.