OKLAHOMA CITY -
The ACLU is now
taking up the case of a transgender individual who is being denied a name
change. An Oklahoma County judge says she can't legally change her name
from the male one she was given at birth, to a female one.
Judge Bill Graves
denied James Dean Ingram's request to legally change her name to Angela Renee
Ingram.
According to the
ACLU, requests for a name change in cases like this are usually approved, except
when it comes to this one judge.
"She was
devastated. She reported even feeling like she wanted to take her own life
because of the way she was treated," said Brady Henderson, legal director with
the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma.
Ingram was born a
male, but identifies herself and dresses as a woman. She takes female
hormones, but hasn't undergone gender reassignment surgery. According to
the ACLU Graves told Ingram he denied her request because this was about God's
will.
"What we do see
here is evidence of an imposition of a personal idea of what gender is supposed
to be," said Henderson.
Graves said he
can't comment on the case, but provided News 9 with an order he made in a similar
case where he denied a Steven Charles Harvey's request to change his name to
Christie Ann Harvey.
Graves ruled: "The
DNA code shows God meant for them to stay male and female…To grant a name
change in this case would be to assist that which is fraudulent."
But the ACLU
argues that is unconstitutional.
"The fact is we
have a choice over what our names are and what the names of our children are and
in this case we feel that Angela was denied that choice unfairly," said
Henderson.
Now that the case is being appealed, the matter will be decided by
the Oklahoma Supreme Court or sent to Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals for
a decision. It is likely that the appeal may take several months to be
decided.
Brady Henderson is the legal director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma.
