Every Progressive Presidential Campaign Has Deadnamed Me
This is something the DNC could fix today
Before I jump into this essay, it seems appropriate to define “deadname” for those uninitiated. The word “deadname” typically refers to a trans person’s birth name. You may wonder why such a dramatic term is necessary, but “you just birth-named me” doesn’t correctly stress the offense and impact of being deadnamed for a trans person. I tend to refer to my birth name as just that — my birth name. That said, when someone else uses my birth name, it becomes my deadname. Birth name is my choice, my decision to disclose. Deadname is when my birth name gets shoved in my face without consent.
To get to the point of this essay, I have been deadnamed by every progressive political campaign that has texted, emailed, or direct mailed me. This is not surprising in the least, as my voter file still contains my deadname, so while a bit perturbed, I have generally been understanding when receiving “personalized” political texts and other such correspondence.
So why does this matter?
Even though I’m reasonably understanding, being deadnamed fucking sucks. It always kind of knocks the wind out of me, and there’s something about it that makes me feel stripped naked. It’s the most uncomfortable place that a conversation could be…
