i think everyone even cis people should have a deadname. like. picking out your own name and choosing your own identity should be such an integral part of being human. casting away all the falsehoods of childhood and keeping only the love and the wisdom you’ve gained and using that to construct a new self, a new personhood… idk i think cultures that call kids a placeholder name and let them pick their own once they reach maturity were doing something right
I’m cis, and I just (about a week ago!) legally changed my name to one my friends gave me over 30 years ago. This name has been me for my entire adult life.
It was easy ($300 + showing up to court and politely answering some yes-or-no questions from a judge) and my only regret is not doing it years ago.
Gender euphoria is not, I think, something I am capable of experiencing… but I can’t deny a certain sense of identity euphoria.
It’s gotta be connected to how culturally names have become an assertion of your parents’ identity onto you. Surname is your family name, and your first name is a projection of who your parents envision you as or want you to be. It’s a way you “belong” to your parents, almost.