My dad has a little gag he loves doing that involves me being trans (itâs fun- donât worry).
So, my dead name is also the name of a food item (spelled different but sounds the same). We sometimes eat that food item- itâs a nice treat. His little joke is that he will only call that food âDead Namesâ- which leads to hilarious instances of hearing my 70 year old father call out âHey, Iâm going to go grab some Dead Names while weâre here!â while heâs half way down the isle in the grocery store, or him coming home and saying âhey, I picked up a box of Dead Names while I was out! :)â
It just makes me so overwhelmingly happy that my old name is not something wrapped in grief. It doesnât represent a loss. It is something we can smile about and remember even if it doesnât fit me anymore.

















