Reclaim Our Names: A Trans Joy+Justice Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Eric Joy Denise shares their name-choosing to become Denise! Denise! She recalls her declaration of The Year of Denise in the year 2016 as a testimony to the kind of person they want to become forever.

Host Denise! Denise! talks about her Reclaim Our Names trans self-determination project to support trans folks on their name-choosing and -changing journeys. They talk about the power of trans name-changing as an act of self-determination, and reflect on trans names as a site for understanding, documenting, and celebrating trans culture, trans kinship and chosen families, and trans history. Learn more about Denise's work at http://thehouseofdenise.com/transnames/

[6/10/24] Self-compassion coach Ang Woon and trans and non-binary empowerment coach Denise! Denise! offer an introduction to coaching (such as life, career, empowerment coaching), discussing how and why they became coaches, the benefits of coaching (in addition to, not instead of individual therapy and societal change), and how to ensure coaching is trans-affirming and affordable. This conversation is useful if you are considering becoming a coach yourself and/or seeking out your own coach. Reach Ang Woon, self-compassion coach (they) athttp://rebrand.ly/Ang-Woon-20 and @voiceactivatedwriting on Instagram. Reach Denise! Denise!, trans empowerment coach and trans liberation consultant (they/them) at http://thehouseofdenise.com and @thehouseofdenise on Instagram.

"What's in a name? There's a whole lot is in a name. You can just hold it with you forever -- it's yours. And, this is what I got to come up with, with my family, with my kids -- nobody can take that away from me." Myka P. Kennedy shares her journey to becoming a transgender warrior, and inviting her kids to help choose her new name upon coming out. Recorded on February 21, 2024.

I asked over 500 trans, non-binary, genderfluid, and intersex people how they chose new names. In this video, I investigate the central role of parents (and families) in the name-choosing process for trans people and offer a self-determined alternative rooted in trans history, culture, and kinship. Learn more at http://thehouseofdenise.com/transnames/Amy J. Ko's Medium blog post, "100 Hours of Name Change Labor": https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior/100-hours-of-name-change-labor-c652c22a89b9 Erin Paterson, British Vogue writer, "'It Was A Line In The Sand For Everyone, Including Myself': One Vogue Writer Reflects On Changing Their Name After Identifying As Trans": https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/choosing-name-trans Jack Halberstam, 2019 British Sociological Association presentation, "Trans*: Beyond a Politics of Recognition": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZa9VqZVibcDr. Julia Sinclair-Palm's 2023 study published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, "The role of family in trans youths’ naming practices": https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2023.2181450

I asked over 500 trans, non-binary, genderfluid, and intersex people how they chose new names -- what they chose, how they chose it, who had input, and, of course, why they chose their names. Learn more about the Reclaim Our Names trans self-determination project at http://thehouseofdenise.com/transnames/

[2/6/24] I asked over 500 trans, non-binary, and intersex people about changing their names -- and quickly realized many don't want or need to, or are unable to. Learn more about the Reclaim Our Names trans self-determination project at http://thehouseofdenise.com/transnames/

[1/31/24] The Trans Visionaries Collective hosted a conversation with Miss Major! and Greta C. Robinson on trans and non-binary visibility, authenticity, and community-building. See the video recording here.