Meet Jesse

Today I made my official introduction to the world as Jesse. I was at a meeting of Trans-E-Motion, and there happens to be another Ray in the group. I could have been, and was for most of the meeting, the other Ray. And if my name was really Ray, I guess that would be fine. But since I'm already wanting to change my name to Jesse (or Jess, but I'm thinking Jesse these days) I figured, why wait? Especially since I didn't know most of these people anyway, so I may as well start off with them calling me by my future name.

It felt good to introduce myself as Jesse to the other people present. It felt right.

For a couple months I've been toying with changing my name at church, just writing Jess or Jesse on a nametag and explaining the change to anyone who asked. I'm going to have to do this one of these days anyway. I think for now I'll just go by my new name at Trans-E-Motion, though. I think it'll get too confusing to be Rachel with my family, Ray at work, and Jesse at church. Maybe as I get more used to being called Jesse at Trans-E-Motion, I'll make the change at church as well. In any case, when I change my name legally (hopefully in January), then I can be Jess or Jesse everywhere. Well, my family may continue to call me Rachel, but families get liberties that others aren't allowed.

I spent some time speaking with a transwoman about the mechanics of how to change one's name in Fresno County. This is starting to feel so real.