Deadnaming

Deadnaming is the use of the birth or other former name (i.e. a name that is "dead") of a transgender or non-binary person without their consent.[1] Deadnaming is not always intentional. Intentional deadnaming, however, is sometimes used to "aggressively dismiss and reject" a gender identity and the name that accompanies it, and is considered by some as deeply disrespectful.[2][3]

Background

The practice of deadnaming has elicited considerable controversy. Supporters of transgender identity normalization argue that deadnaming is part of the hostile environment experienced by trans individuals which has in some cases led to murder.[4] Deadnaming can also be done accidentally by people who are otherwise-supportive of trans individuals, such as supportive family members or longtime friends who have not yet become accustomed to using an individual's new name. Repeated failures to avoid deadnaming, however, can be seen as a failure to practice allyship.[5] Deadnaming can be overt aggression or subtle microaggression indicating that the target is not fully recognized as a member of a society.[6]

Even among those who support trans identities, there is dispute about the appropriateness both of the act of deadnaming, and deadnaming as a legitimate concept. Christopher Reed, a professor of history and scholar of queer culture, provocatively argued that deadnaming "inhibits efforts toward self-acceptance and integration."[7] Others have argued that the freedom to deadname is not covered within the principles of academic freedom.[8] Disputes surrounding the legitimacy of deadnaming have led to acrimonious disputes within the queer community, with some believing that deadnaming itself is a tangible harm, and others arguing that the move to prevent deadnaming is tantamount to "re-education camp."[9]

Queer scholars have theorized that trans people insist on preventing deadnaming in part as a strategy of self-assertion for what is to come: "by insisting on the primacy of the present, by seeking to erase the past, or even by emotionally locating their 'real self' in the future, that elusive place where access (to transition, health care, housing, a livable wage, and so on) and social viability tend to appear more abundant."[10] Correcting deadnaming by third parties is cited as a way to support trans people.[5]

Obstacles

Attempts to stop being deadnamed can sometimes result in significant bureaucratic and administrative obstacles for trans people. The legal name change itself costs time, money and effort—but forcing institutions like schools to update names, emails, class schedules is not always easy.[11] Even the ride sharing company Lyft has made it extremely difficult for trans people to change their name on the app.[12]

See also

References
  1. Sinclair-Palm, Julia (2017-05-01). ""It's Non-Existent": Haunting in Trans Youth Narratives about Naming". Occasional Paper Series. 2017 (37). ISSN 2375-3668.
  2. Sinclair-Palm, Julia (2017-05-01). ""It's Non-Existent": Haunting in Trans Youth Narratives about Naming". Occasional Paper Series. 2017 (37). ISSN 2375-3668.
  3. Stanborough, Rebecca (February 2020). She/He/They/Them: Understanding Gender Identity. Capstone. ISBN 978-0-7565-6561-9.
  4. women. (2017-03-17). "Deadnaming A Trans Person Is Violence — So Why Does The Media Do It Anyway?". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  5. Johnson, Hannah Lee (Spring 2019). "Rhetorics of trans allyship, toward an ethic of responsible listening and ally labor". University of Iowa. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  6. Rogers, Baker A. (2020-01-31). Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-7936-0034-9.
  7. Reed, Christopher (2018-11-22). "AXIOMATIC" (PDF). web.archive.org. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  8. Lavery, Grace. "Grad School As Conversion Therapy". BLARB. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  9. "Conversion Therapy v. Re-education Camp: Open Letter to Grace Lavery". BLARB. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  10. Crawford, Lucas (2019-01-02). "What's Next is the Past". a/b: Auto/Biography Studies. 34 (1): 147–150. doi:10.1080/08989575.2019.1542845. ISSN 0898-9575.
  11. Rogers, Baker A. (2020-01-31). Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-7936-0034-9.
  12. White, Erin (2019-01-01). "Trans-inclusive Design". A List Apart.
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