Between the Pauli Murray LGBTQ Bar Association, Charlotte Trans Health, Trans United Charlotte, and Charlotte Gaymers Network, the partnered organizations have started a well-needed monthly for Charlotte’s transgender community. The Name Change clinic provides multiple services for those looking to blossom into their true selves on a more recognized and official scale via paperwork and documents.
At these clinics operated by this group of organizations, clients can find help in resume writing, having a large donated set of clothes to choose from that corresponds to their identity, access to medical professionals about where and how to find healthcare and learn about the process for changing their names on all official documents.
Prior to the recent conservative party victories in the Nov. 5 election, the clinics had been held less frequently. The incoming Trump administration made it immediately clear, especially for trans individuals, that resources should be made available as quickly as possible. With that in mind, an additional date was added to the schedule in December ahead of Jan. 18, the final clinic before the next administration officially moves in.
Candelario Saldana, a lawyer in the Pauli Murray Bar Association, pointed out that the first step in the process wasn’t about the documentation. “I think the first step is a mental one,” said Saldana. “It’s being ready to take the leap. For a lot of people, getting there mentally in order to get rid of a name that’s been associated with them for a long time, and then changing it, requires being in the correct mental space.
“Whether you’re going to be okay with telling family, living [with] this name, letting go of a name that you’ve been living with for 20 to 30 years or whatever amount of time that you’ve been with this name, I think mental preparation is key, and that’s why we don’t want to force anyone to speed up their journey. This is their journey, and it’s a mental journey. So just by being mentally prepared, we can meet everyone, wherever they’re at – step one or step thirty.”
The Name Change clinics themselves are places for information, not direct legal representation or advice. Armed with a few documents that give directions as to how the name process works, Saldana outlined three phases that each set of steps can be grouped into.
To start off with, there are a few requirements that have to be met for the state of North Carolina. The person seeking the name change, with some rare exceptions, must be over 18 years of age, live in North Carolina, had not previously had their name changed under North Carolina General Statute Chapter 101 and not of desire to change their name for any other reason, including due to marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse.
After meeting these conditions, Phase One starts off by grouping together a set of documents. For pre-filing, a certified birth certificate is needed, along with background checks (if filing at ages 16 or 17), two affidavits of good character, and fingerprints. Once those files are gathered, Phase Two starts, requiring multiple trips to the courthouse.
During those trips, a notice of intent to change the name will be required, as well as affidavits covering outstanding taxes and child support along with an additional document of good character. If the person going through the process is 15 to 17 years old, a petition will also be needed together with an affidavit of parental consent. Lastly, a notarized verification document is required, along with the birth certificate, the background check reports, and paperwork showing proof of address (driver’s license, utility bill, etc).
The last phase seems to be the most rigorous. After going through the court processes, the post-name change steps require the person in question to visit and call all of the places where their then dead name would be on file. These places include the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the passport office, any banks or credit card companies, and so on. Anywhere the previous identity is on record would need to change the listing to show the new name.
Morgan Callahan, one of the founders of Trans Unite Charlotte, has been through the process. “It’s very tedious, but it’s not hard,” Callahan explained. “There [are] a lot of steps, [such as] getting the money orders, going to the post office, going to UPS, going to the courthouse, and posting your date.”
“As long as you’re okay, mentally, with the fact that you are going to be driving around or taking public transportation. You’re going to be moving around a lot, and you’re going to have to talk to a lot of different people, but it’s not difficult. It’s just that there are a lot of steps that need to be done in order to actually get the whole thing completed. I wouldn’t say that it was overly stressful, or anything like that. It was more just like a set of annoyances.”
Conversation with Saldana and Callahan about what needs to happen made the process feel a lot less strenuous than one might initially imagine, which is likely the key reason organizations involved have offered the clinics. For such a major life event, proving who you are on paper to the world can seem daunting. The name-change clinics began as an idea from Katie Jennifer, a board member of the Pauli Murray Bar Association. The series of clinics has made that challenge look much more attainable.
Moving forward, the Charlotte Name Change clinics aren’t the only such presentations the LGBTQ+ Bar Association expects to offer. Saldana and Jennifer, along with the rest of their staff, intend to make this type of information distribution a state-wide priority, especially with challenges the LGBTQ+ community will be facing under the next administration.
“We’ve done our name change clinics [with] other partners … because we believe in collaborating as a community and creating spaces that are beneficial and welcoming for all individuals,” Saldana said. “So, we’ve done Durham, [where] we have those quarterly with the Durham County Library and with the LGBT Center of Durham. We also did one in Wilmington with a trans group there, and Equality North Carolina joined forces on that one. We had one planned in Asheville with the library system there, but then Hurricane Helene hit, so that’s … postponed for now.”
In the near future the LGBTQ+ bar association is looking to work with the Mecklenburg County Bar Association and the Mecklenburg County Library System.
If you or a loved one are in need and looking for info, the Pauli Murray LGBTQ Bar Association provides details on upcoming clinics through social media and their website, https://lgbtqbarnc.com/. The next Charlotte clinic date takes place Jan. 18 and will be held at Tabbris Co-Working Center at 1300 South Boulevard, Unit D.
Information provided in this article is not legal advice, and should only be used as a loose guide, based on documents provided to QNotes for use in this article.