Conducting Research

A Namesake guide is a combination of two things:

Information from primary sources, rewritten in plain language to improve understanding.
Insights and advice from local LGBTQ+ organizations, offering trans-specific guidance that the official sources lack.

Find primary sources

Start research with a primary source. This should be a .gov website which is authored directly by the agency which is responsible for updating an identity document.

This could be:

A statewide website (e.g. mass.gov)
A website for a specific department or agency (e.g. dmv.ny.gov)
A court website for a county or town (e.g. providenceri.gov/probate-court)

Find the primary source (or sources) and note down:

Webpage URL
Required documents or steps
Costs
Required forms
Time estimates
Any open questions

The quality of the information you find will vary. For example, for court orders:

Some states will offer helpful, detailed guides.
Some states will offer information that is confusing or unclear.
Some states will lack a webpage altogether, linking only to a blank PDF.
Some states will have a process which varies between counties or towns.

Regardless of the quality of the official source, Namesake’s goal is to clearly document the process.

Interview local LGBTQ+ organizations

Namesake guides should go beyond primary sources to offer local, trans-specific advice. To enable this, it’s crucial to build connections and partner with existing LGBTQ+ organizations who are already doing this work today.

Local non-profits like the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and queer health centers like Thundermist will be able to paint a clearer picture about what the name change process looks like in their community.

By working together with existing organizations, Namesake can:

Write better, more helpful guides.
Grow a contributor network to help maintain and improve guides over time.
Help advocate for legal changes to simplify the name and gender marker change process, and protect and expand trans rights across the U.S.

Reach out

If you’re not already in contact with an organization, find an LGBTQ+ organization who advertises name change clinics or legal support for a particular state or city.

Email them and:

Introduce yourself
Share that you are working on trans name and gender marker change resources with Namesake
Ask if they would be willing to meet for a short (30 minute) research interview to talk about legal name changes in their state

Wait for a reply. Hopefully, you will hear back soon! Schedule a time to meet over Zoom, Google Meet, or by phone.

Get prepared

Here are a few tips to help your interview run smoothly.

Confirm the time. The morning of the interview or the day before, reach out to confirm the time and make sure the participant is still available to meet.
Use headphones and find a quiet room. Avoid conducting your interview in a loud, public environment, when possible.
Be comfortable with silence. Don’t feel like you need to rush through every question from start to finish. Sometimes, participants will share helpful insights if given a few extra seconds to think! Take your time.
Modify the script as needed. You don’t have to ask the interview questions verbatim. Insert questions, skip questions, or rephrase as neccessary to fit the flow of conversation. Use your best judgement.
Bring a note-taker. It can be difficult to administer an interview and take notes at the same time. Bring someone along to serve as note-taker, if you can. A second person can also help debrief afterwards!

Interview script

Introduction

Hi, my name is [name] and my pronouns are [pronouns]. Thank you for agreeing to help Namesake research the name change and gender marker change process in [state]!

This research will help inform our writing and development for trans people in [state].

If with note-taker…
I’m here with [note-taker name] who will be helping me take notes during the session.

If recording session…
I’d like to record our conversation today to help with note-taking. Your recording will never be shared publicly. Is it okay if I record?

Alright, let’s begin.

Getting started

Tell me about yourself. Can you share your name, pronouns, and how you got started assisting with name changes?

Tell me about your organization. What sort of things do you do?

Walk me through the name change process in [state].

Court orders

How long does the court order process take most people, from start to finish?

Where do you see people get most confused or encounter the most difficulty?

Is there a newspaper publication requirement? If so, what is that process like?

Do most people have to appear in front of a judge?

If someone can’t afford the process, what are their options?

How often do people encounter transphobia during the name change process? Are there specific courts or locations where this happens most frequently?

Can people seal their name change record? Do most people do this?

Other resources

Do you have any existing resources that you share with people navigating the name change process? (Google Docs, websites, zines, other organizations…)

Is there anyone else you think I should talk to about name changes in [state]?

Are there any local queer publications or mailing lists you recommend following?

If there was one thing that Namesake could do to help you, what would it be?

Are there any questions you have for me?

Concluding

Thank you for taking the time to chat! We’re working on putting together the guide for [state] and will share a draft with you once it’s ready.

Thank you for all of the work you do to assist trans people in [state]!

Follow up

Send an email within the next 1-2 days to thank the participant again for their time, and to ask for any links or resources that were mentioned during the interview.

Armed with the information from your interview, you can now continue to write and refine the name change guides for the state. Great work!