N.J. has made it easier for transgender people to change their names
Updated Dec 17, 2020;
Kris Berrios, a transgender man from Union County, remembers what it was like a few years ago, going through the process to change his name one that he said felt unnecessarily drawn out.
“It was a long process. It took about three to four months,” Berrios said. “It was very costly too, $300 to $400, each time.”
This week, he joins LGBTQ advocates across the state in celebrating an alteration to the process for changing one’s name in the state of New Jersey, saying it better protects transgender citizens.
New Jersey makes it easier for trans people to change their name
Trans people were previously required to announce their desired name change in a local newspaper two separate times
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Trans Pride flag – Photo: Ted Eytan – Flickr
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of New Jersey abolished requirements that transgender people who obtain court-ordered name changes must publish their former and new names in a newspaper of record.
The provision, which dates back to times when a gender transition was difficult to undergo, and when most states required either a court order, evidence of having undergone gender confirmation surgery, or both.
New Jersey residents no longer need to publish court-ordered name changes in newspapers after the state Supreme Court amended a rule on Tuesday.
Before the amendment, people who wanted to change their name were required to purchase a legal ad in a newspaper to announce the change. They had to submit a notice of application, a court order and their former and new names.
Transgender advocates considered the change a win for the community.
The amendment also frees trans and nonbinary people of safety concerns that come with publicly sharing their name change, according to Garden State Equality, an Asbury Park-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
NorthJersey.com
New Jersey residents no longer need to publish court-ordered name changes in newspapers after the state Supreme Court amended a rule on Tuesday.
Before the amendment, people who wanted to change their name were required to purchase a legal ad in a newspaper to announce the change. They had to submit a notice of application, a court order and their former and new names.
Transgender advocates considered the change a win for the community.
The amendment also frees trans and nonbinary people of safety concerns that come with publicly sharing their name change, according to Garden State Equality, an Asbury Park-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
The Supreme Court in New Jersey overturned a rule that required trans and non-binary people to publish details of a legal name change in a newspaper. (Envato Elements)
Trans and non-binary people in New Jersey will no longer have to take out a newspaper advert telling the public that they have legally changed their name after a discriminatory rule was finally overturned.
The New Jersey Supreme Court amended the rule on Tuesday (15 December) after LGBT+ advocacy organisations detailed the harm the harm the policy could cause to trans people.
Under the terms of the rule, all people who legally changed their name in New Jersey were obliged to take out a newspaper advert detailing their new name and their deadname.