Michael, your mention of naming brings up a rather touching thing about transgenderists, and that is how very often our names have deep personal significance to us. Of course, that's typical with self-chosen names. A few of us just go with the other-sex version of whatever name we started out with. Mario Martinez was originally Maria, for example. Others can get quite fanciful. Canary Conn chose her name from overhearing an adult remark admiringly, "what a little canary," of her singing when she was a small boy.
My own name--Sid--was picked when I was about 10 or so. It was my original name's initials, S.E.D., slightly altered. So it's Sid, not Sidney. If I ever get around to a legal name change (unlikely at this late date!), I'll probably go with Sean Edward, since John Edward is what I would have been named if I'd been born male. (And if I'd been born after my younger brother, because of course I would otherwise have gotten his name.) And I would also go back to my maiden name, so I'd have the same initials I started with.
I'd really like to hear from anyone who has a story behind a name.
Interesting name story, Sid!
A friend of mine changed her name, (post-op), to Helen Heels, which is just so fitting if you know her personally.
Another went from Steve to Debbie, just because she liked the name Debbie. She said there was never any significance to it, it just sounded right. (Hey, who could argue with that logic? If it sounds good to you, then it probably is and you oughta go with it.)
I don't know if it counts, as my gay uncle isn't transgendered and has no desire to be, but when he came out, he changed his name, too. Just kinda starting all over, I guess. Since our last name is Pope, he thought it'd be funny to go by Adrian, (that, and his lover gave him a choice; you're either Adrian or Gabriel, and he went with Adrian). But yeah, that's only funny if you're history dorks like we are and know about Pope Hadrian.
I come from a very, very long line of history dorks...
But as for name changes, I was thinking of going through one myself. One side of my family disowned me for having the audacity to be something other than straight, so I'm thinking of dropping that part of my last name. I don't want to be associated with people who act like they do, or are a fraction as intolerant as they've been. What makes me sad is one of my uncles on that side is gay, and he can't say anything for fear of meeting the same axe I did.
Mandi