Call Me Gabriel
The complicated story behind my deceptively simple name change
In early 2020, I began the process to have my name changed legally. Again.
This is a common rite of passage for most transgender people, as we come to terms with our identities and seek to find a name that better suits us as we begin our transition journey. However, I have changed my name legally twice before, and neither of those changes were for gender related reasons.
Childhood confusion
To begin with, my deadname was Gigi. However, this was never my legal name. It was a nickname my mother and grandmother called me. It was the name of their favorite movie, and somehow, they thought it suited me. Why my mother never legally named me that, I don’t know. When asked, she would merely shrug and state she hadn’t thought of it when asked at the hospital.
However, I had no idea that my name wasn’t Gigi until I received my social security card when I was twelve. When I received the card, on it was the name Gabriela. At first, I thought this was a mistake, and the card belonged to my mother, as she had the same name. That’s when I found out that Gigi had never been my name. Legally, I had always been Gabriela.
