What is Deadnaming & Why is it So Damaging?

“Deadnaming” is the act of referring to a transgender person by their former name, post transition. But what sort of impact can this have?

• Throughout history, the “naming" of other people has been a strategy utilized to exert power: calling a woman by the last name of her husband or calling a divorced woman by the title “Ms.”.
• Language is a powerful tool and the titles we are either given or that we choose for ourselves inevitably impact how we are perceived within and how we navigate society.
• When a person comes out as transgender, in many cases, they will select a new name that they want to be called in the future. This chosen name reflects their new identity.
• For trans people it is difficult to wholly escape their birth name, be it at the doctor’s office or in promotional emails. For some this can be anxiety inducing.
• The act of “deadnaming”, when someone calls a trans person by their dead name, despite being aware of their chosen name, has been described by trans actress Laverne Cox as “the ultimate insult”.
• It must be noted that not all trans people view their birth name as being “dead”. Nonetheless, for other’s it can be a source of immense pain.
• Some have gone so far as to describe the act of deadnaming as an act of violence, which can put trans lives at risk because when done purposefully deadnaming is a denial of the trans experience.
• With 2021 being the deadliest year for trans people on record it is argued that microaggressions, such as deadnaming, should be taken into account when searching for solutions to transphobia.