Online: Namesake - Simplifying legal name and gender marker changes for trans people in the U.S. #654

Trans and gender-nonconforming people in the United States face significant hurdles when legally updating their name and gender marker. Costs can range from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000. The state may require you to publish your name change in a newspaper, appear before a judge, get letters from physicians and mental health practitioners, or prove that you have had certain surgeries. And as the Trump regime increases its assault on trans people, identity documents may be denied or revoked, as the State Department did earlier this year with the passports of trans citizens.

Namesake was founded in 2021 to help trans people in Massachusetts navigate the legal name change process. Namesake’s open source web application is built to securely guide people through the steps required to update identity documents, keep track of progress, and answer common questions. Namesake partners with organizations like the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition to provide financial assistance and host name change clinics. Our hope for Namesake is to build a resource by and for trans people, to share knowledge, offer communal support, and fight for policies to ensure that everyone can be seen for who they are.