Bills in California and Washington will allow transgender people to close records asking for a name change

Legislators in at least two states are discussing bills to allow transgender people to hide name change documents from public records.

A bill in Washington would allow gender expression and identity as reasons for sealing a future name change petition, and a bill in California would require petitions from minors to change their name and gender on identity documents to be sealed.

The Associated Press reported that advocates warn that transgender people may be subject to cyberbullying and physical abuse if name change petitions are not closed and previous names are available on public records.

For now, only victims of domestic violence can easily change their name in Washington. Other states, including California, provide the same services to victims of human trafficking, stalking, and sexual assault.

NBA legend Dwyane Wade’s 15-year-old daughter changes name after legal battle: reports

Assemblyman Chris Ward is accompanied by his partner Tom Harpole and children Betty and Billy as he is sworn in as Speaker of Pro Tempore during the opening session of the California Legislature in Sacramento, California on December 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Villegas)

Democratic Senator Jamie Pedersen is sponsoring the Washington bill, which was passed by the bipartisan Senate this month and is expected to pass in the House of Representatives. The bill builds on existing laws in New York and Oregon and will ensure the privacy of refugees, emancipated minors, and those granted asylum.

“It seemed to me that this is a simple action that can significantly increase the safety of transgender people in our state,” Pedersen said.

University of Washington graduate student Maya Xiao, who changed her name, wrote to Pedersen last summer calling for reforms after entries about changing a transgender friend’s name were posted on an online forum, leading to “merciless harassment, including hate mail.”

On the same Internet forum, Xiao said that her friend was harassed last year for doxing transgender people and maliciously posting personal information. The forum has also been linked to suicide, according to The AP.

Senator Jamie Pedersen, Democrat of Seattle, speaks on the Senate floor in Olympia, Washington on January 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

DOJ STAFF TRAINING “DEFINES IMPORTANT TERMS”, “CLEARS TRANSGENDER-RELATED LANGUAGE”

A California bill, introduced in January and not yet scheduled for a hearing, would require the state to seal any petition filed by a person under the age of 18 to change their name, gender, and/or sex. The documents of the applicant’s trial will also be sealed.

Cathy Moelig, executive director of San Diego-based nonprofit TransFamily Support Services, approached California Democratic Assembly Speaker Chris Ward with the idea after learning the recordings were easy to find and share. Möhlig said that the students she advises told her that this is a trend seen in middle or high school.

“Someone’s gender identity is an innate part of them – it’s intimate,” she said, adding that many families don’t know these records are public. “They deserve the right to privacy.”

Ward, also vice chairman of the California LGBTQ Legislature, said he hoped the bill would reduce the risk of bullying of “gender mismatched children.”

“I want them to be comfortable,” Ward said, “and they can be themselves.”

San Diego lawyer Claris Barrelet, who has an 11-year-old transgender son, told the AP that simply putting her child’s name into a search engine shows a gender change. Barrelet said she believes these recordings should be sealed to protect the privacy of children and adults.

The laptop is open to the Google search engine. (Cybergu.com)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Some law enforcement officials have raised concerns about the bills, saying they could allow a criminal to demand a name change to avoid liability.

“That’s not the intention of the bill, and such occurrences will be rare, but procedures should be in place to prevent this,” Jennifer Wallace, executive director of the Washington District Officials Association, told the AP.

The Washington bill would allow courts to open a name change case if law enforcement has reasonable suspicion.

Sex offenders and incarcerated persons are still not eligible for a sealed name change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.