What’s in a name? For our trans and nonbinary neighbors, everything.

It was barely 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 when my cell phone rang. A Montgomery County resident wanted to know about the next pro bono name change clinic. As the elected county prothonotary, I lead the 27-person office that processes legal name changes, among other civil legal filings.

A person can petition to change their name at any time of the year, but for the last three years, I’ve partnered with the Montgomery Bar Association to host a virtual name change clinic, which provides people with a private, half-hour Zoom consultation with a pro bono attorney to complete the name change petition. While the clinics are open to all Montgomery County adults, the majority of our participants are nonbinary, gender-expansive, or transgender.

The phone call I received that Wednesday morning was the first of many inquiries I’ve fielded throughout the last three months, and several of those calls are laced with anxiety and urgency. The results of the 2024 election — and flurry of executive orders in the first two-and-a-half weeks of the new president’s administration — have hurled members of our LGBTQ community into a state of uncertainty about their most fundamental rights at the state and federal level.

While it’s difficult to determine whether some of the political rhetoric and proposed bills will become a legal reality, seeing some elected officials shift their positions on their support for the LGBTQ community fuels the instability people feel about the future.

I’m dismayed at seeing human rights and dignity becoming political bargaining chips, but it reaffirms my commitment to the community I serve — to all the people I serve. The pro bono name change clinic is one way my office and I provide extra guidance and support to Montgomery County residents, especially those in marginalized communities.

A name is a vital part of your identity; it’s often the first thing you share about yourself. For many in the trans or nonbinary community, having a name that matches your gender presentation and identity can be a matter of basic safety and survival.

According to the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey, “Twenty-two percent of all respondents reported being verbally harassed, assaulted, asked to leave a location, or denied services when they have shown someone an ID with a name or gender that did not match their presentation.” Findings of a study published in 2020 confirmed that “Legal gender affirmation (including a name change and gender maker) was significantly associated with lower reports of depression, anxiety, somatization, global psychiatric distress, and upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment.”

Having witnessed nearly 50 individuals successfully go through our pro bono name change clinics, I can attest to feelings of relief and joy when a person receives a legal name change. It’s amazing to see a group of people who were strangers before the hearing scattered throughout the courtroom seats and applaud each clinic participant as the presiding judge approves their name change. I’m looking forward to that experience with the participants of our name change clinic next week.

Despite the setbacks, disappointments, and broken promises, I want my LGBTQ friends and neighbors to know they don’t walk alone. My support doesn’t change according to what’s politically trendy or convenient. My team and I are committed to treating every person in our office with respect.

Indeed, in times of uncertainty, it’s the least our elected officials can do.

Noah Marlier has served as the Montgomery County prothonotary since January 2020. Committed to helping the community through his work, Marlier is a frequent speaker on landlord-tenant matters and the eviction crisis. Marlier’s additional community outreach includes being a vocal advocate for domestic violence awareness and prevention, as well as for LGBTQ rights.