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Legal name changes are an overlooked, frustrating part of transition for trans, non-binary communities

The process can be a grueling and costly one, and understanding how to navigate it and where to go for advice helps.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Miss Trans Oklahoma USA 2024 Kitana Sanchez began transitioning into her authentic self in 2007.

Back then, resources weren't as readily accessible in Corpus Christi, but they were even less so in her hometown of Del Rio.

She began her journey as a student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, working two jobs to be able to afford her everyday bills and student loans, plus the costs that cane with transitioning.

"I have this kind of anxiety that I go through, because there's this little voice in me that’s saying, you know, 'It's not going to happen,' " she said. "So that mental stress was just in me all the time of, like, and then not only that (but) financially, how am I going to afford it?"

For Sanchez and other members of the trans and non-binary communities, a name is more than just words.

"There's always a significance with, I think, every trans person that chooses their name," she said. "There's a significance that comes with it."

But it's also the difference between accurate medical and legal recordkeeping. 

"The anxiety that comes with going to a doctor when you don't have your name change," she said. "When you don't have your gender marker changed. Being misgendered at the doctor's office. Having them call your, you know, your dead name out, or looking at your files and misgendering you because you don't have those documents updated. That was something else that was kind of, like, mentally frustrating for me."

A trans person’s name change may not be the most expensive or grueling part of their transition, but it does require a strength that, in Kitana’s case, she draws from the ‘Mortal Kombat’ fighter who inspired her name.

The video-game character not only inspired Kitana's name, but her personality, as well.

"I felt by taking that name and embodying you know that name in my authentic self I said ‘I'm going to also take on that warrior aspect and keep fighting, and not only for, you know, my people, but also for myself,’ " she said.

But name changes aren't as simple as filling out a form, which is why local law firm Webb Cason & Manning fully funded five name changes for members of the LGBTQ+ community as Pride Month kicked off.

The process requires jumping through legal hoops, which is why a lot of the trans and non-binary communities look to attorneys for guidance.

Corpus Christi attorney Steve McMains said most people think of legal name changes in reference to divorces. In those cases, costs are built into the divorce petition itself.

But in cases such as the trans and non-binary communities', since no other court proceedings are involved to build costs into, separate paperwork and costs apply. 

McMains called cases such as these a single-occurrence name change, and attorneys 3NEWS spoke with about the process said it can run between $1,500-$2,500, plus filing fees, if done through a legal professional.

"I, personally, don’t do a whole lot of them, but we have done several of them," he said. "There are attorneys in the past that have been more, I guess, specialized because you get segments of the population that are doing name changes for different personal reasons."

He said people going through the process can do it themselves online, but Sanchez said without proper resources and advisors to help, it can be intimidating and exhausting -- at least that was her experience in the late 2000s.

"Here in Corpus, at least, at that time, there were no programs, there were no resources to help trans individuals, and I kind of had to just traverse on my own," she said. "You know, with a couple of people just informing me and saying 'Hey, you should go here,' 'Maybe you should look into this,' and that was it."

But in her case, her mentor was able to help her find an attorney to help speed the process along.

"Thankfully I did find a lawyer locally," she said. "I'm not sure if they're still in practice or not -- but they did (help)."

McMains said the process could be even more difficult for people with felony convictions or who are flagged in certain federal databases.

"There are additional hurdles to go through and limitations in terms of your ability to change your name, so those are kind of some of the issues that get brought up," he said.

For anyone needing to go through a single-occurrence name change, here's an overview of the process from legal professionals: 

  • Prepare the petition and order for the court.
  • Have client go get fingerprinted at the Sherriff’s office. The cost is $5.
  • Have client file the petition, order, and fingerprint card to the District Clerk office. The filling fee is $350. The clerk will provide a hearing date to meet the judge.
  • Judge signs off the court order.
  • Client takes order to the drivers license office to get that document changed.
  • Don't forget to get your birth certificate and social security card changed as well.

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