Names encapsulate who we are, the identity we hold and how others see us. But what if the name you were given doesn’t feel like “you?”
This is the case for some transgender or gender-diverse people and those whose chosen name does not match their legal or birth name. This is one of the reasons why Kent State University’s LGBTQ+ Center and Student Legal Services teamed up to host the first Name Change Clinic on Jan. 30 to support students in ways that reduce some of the obstacles on their way to success.
Names have a huge effect on people and their mental state. One study found that legal gender affirmation for trans or gender-diverse people was associated with lower reports of anxiety, depression, global psychiatric distress and upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment.
According to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, a lack of appropriate identification documents can deter people from applying to jobs and schools and can lead to discrimination.
The idea for the clinic came after the LGBTQ+ Center staff noticed many students were feeling overwhelmed with the name change process and were asking for help. The center and Student Legal Services worked together to offer a safe and welcoming space for the Kent State community to come and learn about the process and paperwork needed.
Approximately 50 students attended the event. As students settled in their seats, Ken Ditlevson, director of Kent State’s LGBTQ+ Center, introduced Chris Sestak, J.D., an attorney from Student Legal Services, who launched the presentation. While Sestak was talking, students attentively wrote down notes or questions they had.
“Our names are an incredibly important part of our identity in that they carry deep personal, cultural, familial and historical connections,” Sestak said in his presentation. “They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong and our place in the world.”
As Sestak continued, he noted that while this process can be overwhelming, Student Legal Services is here to help students through the process.
Student Legal Services is available to any Kent State student who paid the $10/semester fee. With this fee, students have access to legal services for a wide range of issues and matters, including name changes.
Heather Gyekenyesi, Portage County Probate Court administrator/magistrate, spoke next to localize the process to Ohio counties. Gyekenyesi mentioned how probate courts are the courts responsible for processing name changes and gave students an overview of the different name change forms that are available on the Portage County Probate Court website.
The clinic ended with a Q&A session where both Sestak and Gyekenyesi answered any questions students had regarding the material they had covered. Several students asked questions, and Sestak and Gyekenyesi were able to provide them with more information or point them to places where they could learn more.