'Name Change'

Name Change: The filmmaker Sharon Shattuck recalls the apprehension she experienced when her father, a transgender cross-dresser, decided to legally adopt a woman's name.
By SHARON SHATTUCK
Published: April 18, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/opinion/name-change.html?_r=1

I've heard much debate in the past year about what constitutes a "healthy family."  Some politicians argue that the best environment for a child is one with a mother and a father — and the underlying context here is that a "normal" family should be helmed by a "normal" heterosexual couple.

For me, "normal" is something entirely different.  Yes, I grew up with a happily married mother and father in a small, conservative Midwestern town. But my father is transgender, and he's a cross-dresser. He has never tried to hide these facts from anyone.

As you can imagine, my family stuck out like a sore thumb in our small town, though I didn't quite realize to what extent until my dad legally changed his name from Michael to Trisha.