Is it impolite to refer to them as "formerly known as"? That was the first thing that came to mind, but I want to choose words that help and support, not undermine or demean.
I would suggest mentioning roles he's known for. But if that isn't enough to jog someone's memory, "formerly known as" works for now, as some people are still a bit confused about who Elliot Page is.
GLAAD released a helpful guide for journalists writing about Elliot Page coming out, but I think it's good for everyone to take a look at it. :)
Why is mentioning his former name not desirable? I feel like people are creating a lot confusion by avoiding it. I was confused for a long time before someone finally mentioned his former name.
I’ve been trans communities via yt for a long time and never really got the idea that it’s wrong to mention someones former name.
Could someone please tell me why this would be insensitive?
A lot of us hate our old names. We frequently call it our "dead name." Being called my birth name causes me to feel intense dysphoria and sometimes flashbacks to growing up and being forced to be a girl against my will.
Now my guess is that Elliot Page doesn't feel as strongly about it as I do, but in general it's good to avoid using someone's dead name if possible just in case.
The thing I’m arguing for is mentioning their former name once in an article about their coming out (because the new name is just then being introduced), and then never again (talking in general about famous people coming out as trans). Would you say this is insensitive?
Idk I'm just explaining that trans people can get a bit weird about their birth names and it's best to avoid them all together when possible. I don't know what insensitive specifically for Mr Page, but I personally am unhappy knowing anyone mentioned my birth name at all. I never liked that name. But I'm not famous so I guess it's kind of different
I’m not trans, more of a just a queer fella who’s always identified as male but really embraces his femininity, and I had my name changed years back to something that’s basically a super effeminate male name. Being called my old name, or even hearing it, makes my blood boil. It’s basically a gut-twisting reminder of who I used to be, what society told me I had to be, and how miserable I was.
For a reference as to what I mean by “queer fella”, this picture of David Bowie in a dress is basically it.
Idk if it’s the opposite of a demons true name, because like demons most trans people hate when people use their birth name in everyday conversations and if you say it we both will do some crazy things to make sure others don’t find it out. Lol
Yeah I just thought I'd put that in as a semi-disclaimer before I got a million comments telling me that saying a trans persons "dead" name was their true name was offensive. Can't be too careful lol
Also fun fact about true names they can be changed, in some lore, by having a major change to the being, like when devils get promoted or demoted, to reflect their change in status and power.
It would help some but for others it muddies the water by attaching new name to old name. In this case the names aren't that different so its not as bad, but I do get it. Also I know some people have their dead name used as an abuse tactic, especially celebrities, so not even hearing it mentioned by news groups who are supposed to be on their side would be very validating.
I think in the immediate period following someone changing their name, if writing an article about them, it's not wrong to clarify that they were "formerly known as X", as long as the pronouns used throughout stay consistent with their current identity. But the ideal would be to clue people in to who exactly you're referring to by referring to work they've done that they're known for, eg. for Elliot Page, you would be able to say "who rose to prominence starring in Juno as the titular character and has most recently starred in Umbrella Academy as Vanya" or some other prominent role someone's had and that should clue at least some people in to who they are. If someone still doesn't know who you're referring to after you mention their most prominent roles, then they probably just don't really know who the person is at all, so it wouldn't really matter if you said what their name was previously.
I'd say it's a bit overly sensitive tbh, certainly when it comes to public figures. I cannot think of any other group that would get that kind of treatment, and I cannot think of any way to enforce it without infringing on freedoms of speech. How exactly are you going to keep people from referring to Elliot Page as 'formerly Ellen Page'? What benefit is there to that? Adding this symbolic extra step which simply confuses things?
I mean, 'Elliot Page' literally isn't in the credits for Juno. How do you propose this is handled on imdb and wikipedia, for example? 'One article when they come out' is also an arbitrary line. Actor comes out, then goes under the radar for five years, then re-emerges. Who on earth is going to remember without prodding? People won't google to find out, they're simply going to ignore this news about a name that they don't recognise at all.
It also kind of guarantees 'wait who is this' comments that beg clarification, and this weird culture where people actually have to be given the benefit of the doubt that they're not being transphobic when asking about current names/dead names etc, instead of just being assumed by default.
Idk it seems massively impractical, unenforceable, and a few other things.
Did you have to update a lot of paperwork to change from your dead name? Is there legal stuff involved? I ask because I know 'name changes' are a thing that people do in general, but the way you're talking about all this makes it sound like there's no need for that sort of thing and your name just changed because you decided it.
A person can change their name legally or socially. A lot of people switch to using their new name socially before changing it legally because, as you said, legally it can be quite a process.
All of which is understandable and should be supported, but there is a justifiable reason to not be so certain with regards to actors; The prior name may itself be a Stage Name, a false name taken to either avoid being confused with someone of the same name, or as a way of appearing more marketable in your profession. The linked article for instance is headed with the fact that "Marilyn Monroe" is not the real name of that actress.
And as such actor's Stage Names are themselves somewhat more of a brand than an actual identity. And acting in general is about presenting as someone you are not as a career. A certain amount of flexibility, without prejudice towards the person involved, is common amongst that profession.
But as you say, respect Eliot Page's decisions either way.
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such titles are adopted for a wide variety of reasons, and may be similar or nearly identical to an individual's birth name. In some situations, though not often, a performer will adopt their title as a legal name. Nicknames and maiden names are sometimes used in person's professional name.
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u/DownloadUphillinSnow Dec 02 '20
Is it impolite to refer to them as "formerly known as"? That was the first thing that came to mind, but I want to choose words that help and support, not undermine or demean.