On (Re)Naming Yourself: How'd you choose your name?
Janet Mock once said, "There's power in naming yourself, in proclaiming to the world that this is who you are. Wielding this power is often a difficult step for many transgender people because it's also a very visible one."
Bahahahaha!! Nice name!! Did your mommy pick it out for you?
Nice try at demoralizing my transgender existence... But to answer your question: No ... And Yes. Not that it's any of yours or anyone else's goddamn business! Excuse my language.
But yes... My name Jacquii Chenyneh Kween Cooke is derived from the last name my Mommy gave me at birth, mixed with my own renaming/reclaiming ingenuity of my birthname Adonis to reflect myself as a woman, along with my family name Cooke.
I agree with Ms. Mock though: There IS an absolute power in naming yourself. As I've stated above, I renamed and reclaimed myself as a proud transgender woman, using a technique which gave a certain authenticity, a pointed homage to my birth name, while keeping my family names Jackson & Cooke in the mix.
And it felt damn good to give myself a title of sorts, a definite affirmation of the existence I'd been longing for since early childhood.
It's a personal process to be sure and some of you may not be comfortable talking about it. But in the spirit of community and sharing our transition journey's - I ask you all: How did you come up with your new chosen name? Or were some of you given at birth a gender neutral name that you've decided to keep?
Let's talk about it. And proudly so!
J.
Janet Mock Quote
"There's power in naming yourself, in proclaiming to the world that this is who you are...
Nice Name meme...
Bahahaha!! Nice Name!! Did Your Mommy Pick It Out For You? Meme...
Nice try at demoralizing my transgender existence... But to answer your question: No ... And Yes. Not that it's any of yours or anyone else's goddamn business! Excuse my language.
But yes... My name Jacquii Chenyneh Kween Cooke is derived from the last name my Mommy gave me at birth, mixed with my own renaming/reclaiming ingenuity of my birthname Adonis to reflect myself as a woman, along with my family name Cooke.
I agree with Ms. Mock though: There IS an absolute power in naming yourself. As I've stated above, I renamed and reclaimed myself as a proud transgender woman, using a technique which gave a certain authenticity, a pointed homage to my birth name, while keeping my family names Jackson & Cooke in the mix.
And it felt damn good to give myself a title of sorts, a definite affirmation of the existence I'd been longing for since early childhood.
It's a personal process to be sure and some of you may not be comfortable talking about it. But in the spirit of community and sharing our transition journey's - I ask you all: How did you come up with your new chosen name? Or were some of you given at birth a gender neutral name that you've decided to keep?
Let's talk about it. And proudly so!
J.