Santa Clara Co. Superior Court hosts 1st annual Name and Gender Marker Change Day of Celebration

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- It was a life-changing day in court for many on Wednesday in Santa Clara County. The Superior Court marked its first-ever celebration of Name and Gender Marker Change Day.

Many called it a powerful moment for trans visibility.

Many joyful people who were in the courtroom for the celebration are now able to fully claim their identities, not just among their communities, but in the eyes of the law.

Jenji Lee Hooker calls it a major step in their journey and one that can be extremely meaningful to so many in the LGBTQ+ community.

"Something as simple as getting pulled over, like you could be driving your own vehicle and then be assumed to steal your own vehicle because you might look more masculine, and it says that you're a female," Hooker said. "Even though you in your community know who you are, people who are just interacting with you don't know. So, it's like even just on a day-to-day basis, it helps so much."

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Santa Clara County and a host of community groups have helped people like Jenji Lee Hooker work through the process of changing their name and gender marker.

Judge Jessica Delgado with the Santa Clara County Superior Court helped put together the first-ever ceremony and celebration.

"I actually had this idea from our celebration at National Adoption Day," Delgado said.

Delgado said the idea behind the ceremony was for both celebration and education.

"We wanted to have our participants who have gone through the process and have certified decrees from the court be able to come and get a ceremonial certificate from a judicial officer," she said. "But we also wanted to give the opportunity for members of the community who wanted to get more information about both filing a petition for name and or gender marker change, but also what to do after you get the decree."

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On hand for the ceremony was Shakina, an actress and activist who wrote a poem for the event.

Shakina reflected on the process of her name and gender marker change years ago and how much more complicated it was at the time.

"What I think is so great to see is a county and a courthouse," she said. "It's coming together to celebrate this community rather than demonize this community."

She hopes that this first-ever ceremony sets an example.

"I really hope that more courthouses around the country take notice," she said. "And step up to support their trans citizens by celebrating their name and gender marker change."