Parents of transgender teen appealing name change ruling

Sarah Brookbank | Cincinnati Enquirer

The parents of a 15-year-old transgender teen who wanted a legal name change have appealed a Warren County judge's decision to deny the change.

Warren County Probate Judge Joseph Kirby said teens lack the "maturity, knowledge and stability" to make such a decision, court documents said.

Now, the family is hoping to overturn that decision. It will head to the 12th District Court of Appeals.

The teen has the support of his parents and medical professionals from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The name change is part of the “gender confirmation” process, which is a primary step in treatment for the teen's gender dysphoria.

"We thought that since the child, both parents and medical specialists agreed that a name change was in our child’s best interest that the hearing would be just a formality. Instead, it felt more like a 20-minute interrogation with very intrusive questions," the family said in a statement.

More: Judge disagrees with parents, doctors. Says transgender teen needs to 'Age. Develop. Mature'

Josh Langdon, a LGBT rights lawyer, said the parents are appealing and felt like "being transgender was on trial" when all their child wanted was a legal name change.

"Adolescence is a time of fevered exploration," Kirby wrote in his decision. "The Court is sympathetic to the parents of the child and their desire to assuage their child. In essence, the Court isn't saying 'no' to the name change. The Court is simply saying 'not yet.'"

Appeal documents said the mother wishes to change the child's name and that both parents filed consent to change of name.

Granting a legal name change will help resolve some of the feelings of distress that accompanies the use of the teen's birth name, the appeal said.

Langdon said the appeal will be the first of its kind in front of the court and could set precedent in the state.

“This appeal is a case of first impression in Ohio, and we will fight vigorously to ensure that (the teen) and his family are treated with dignity and respect. We hope the 12th District Court of Appeals moves quickly to overturn Judge Kirby’s decision to put transgender children on trial,” Langdon said.

Reporter Cameron Knight contributed.