The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition held a drop-in name change clinic on Feb. 11 in collaboration with the City of Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission. This clinic was hosted at the Cambridge Public Library.
Name change clinics, part of the MTPC’s Identity Document Assistance program, are forums for trans, non-binary and gender expansive individuals to seek assistance with the official processes of changing their identity documents. They provide notary assistance and unofficial legal guidance, helping their clients navigate the complex process.
“The number one legal need that folks identified in Massachusetts is support with identity documents,” MG Xiong, director of engagement and learning at the MTPC, said. “And this really was a catalyst for creating our Identity Document Assistance program.”
Recent executive orders by the Trump administration have complicated the process of gender marker changing. As a result of these orders, it is no longer permitted to choose the gender marker “X” on federal documents such as passports and social security cards.
“The executive order related to passport changes is intentionally confusing,” Xiong said. “It’s meant to incite fear in trans communities, and so there’s a lot of uncertainty still.”
Carolina Almonte, executive director of the City of Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, echoed this heightened fear within trans communities due to changes occuring at the federal level.
“I think that there’s definitely a feeling of uncertainty and fear,” Almonte said. “We’re getting questions about organizations losing federal funding that serve folks of different sexual orientations and gender identities.”
The uncertainty brought forward after the election has prompted many transgender and non-binary individuals to begin the name changing process. From July 1, 2024 to Feb. 8, MTPC has distributed $34,000 in financial assistance for the name changing process.
“This was due to an increase in demand once the election happened,” Xiong said. “Many, many more folks reached out to us ready to start these processes.”
The Identity Document Assistance program helps reduce the financial stress of legal name changing. The process can be financially burdensome, with the first step — filing your legal name change — costing $180 in Massachusetts. MTPC also currently provides financial assistance up to $599 for expenses incurred in the name changing process.
“It’s gotten more stressful for many people. A lot of trans people, especially if they’re disabled or if they’re [people] of color, and don’t have a lot of financial restructures, which is why it’s amazing that MTPC does.” Zarie, a notary at the event, said. “Inflation is up, everything costs so much money and we’re not really necessarily all getting paid what we deserve. It costs a lot to change all of your documents.”
In addition to providing logistical and financial assistance, these name change clinics also provide an accepting environment for trans and non-binary people, which can make the process less daunting.
“When I changed my name in 2018, there weren’t a lot of options for notaries that were affirming,” Zari explained. “It was either you go to UPS, the bank or the actual courthouse, and more often than not, someone makes a face or comment, and that can make people uncomfortable.”
One of the MTPC’s goals for its name changing clinics is to build community. Attendants are not always actively seeking to change their names — some attend just to be surrounded by an accepting community.
“We’re working on making our name change clinics, not just a space where we’re talking about name changes, but also a community space,” Xiong said. “A space where folks can just come and hang out, be in community and spend time together.”
Community members emphasized the importance of having a community space, especially in light of actions that the Trump administration has taken to limit the rights of the trans community.
“I find that things like these … [are] very important during these times,” Zari said. “[It] is important to have these community spaces open for people to understand that they have more in common with us than they do the billionaires who are attempting to run things right now.”
The facilitators of the clinic emphasized that despite the federal government taking actions that evoke fear within trans communities, the government of Massachusetts remains committed to protecting LGBTQ individuals.
“In Massachusetts, we don’t see the gender X option going away anytime soon,” Xiong said. “And we have not been notified to limit or discourage people from updating their gender with their state ID.”
Almonte echoed this statement. “We always remind folks that Massachusetts has always been the leader, especially Cambridge, with advocating and standing up for LGBTQ folks and we’re not going to back down or stop that,” she said. “Even though we can’t predict everything [that] will happen, we’ll keep providing resources, opportunities for community engagement and belonging.”
Another clinic will be held on March 2 at the Central Library in Somerville.
