A new program in Maryland will help transgender people legally change their name.
Trans Maryland (formerly Trans Healthcare MD) will cover the cost of filing a petition with a court, posting requirements, a new birth certificate, a new ID, and printing and mailing fees.
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“This program has been a year and a half in the making, and we are thrilled to announce that we’ve served over 20 people in the first week alone,” Executive Director and founder Lee Blinder told the Washington Blade. “Not every trans person changes their name, but we are thrilled to expand access to this service.”
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The assistance is being crowdsourced on social media. So far the initiative has raised over $3,000.
It costs approximately $250 per person for the organization to pay the entire cost.
“According to the U.S. Trans Survey’s Maryland report, 69% of transgender Marylanders do not have an accurate ID,” the group says.
To legally change one’s name in Maryland, a petition must be filed in the local court and the request published in a local newspaper. A court can waive the publication requirement.
A bill currently before the Maryland legislature would remove the requirement.
