Deadnaming

Deadnaming is the use of the birth or other former name (i.e., a name that is "dead") of a transgender or non-binary person without the person's consent. Deadnaming may be accidental; however, it may also be used to intentionally dismiss a person's gender identity.
Background.
The concept of deadnaming has elicited considerable controversy. Supporters of transgender identity normalization argue that deadnaming is part of the hostile environment experienced by trans individuals. Deadnaming can also be done accidentally by people who are otherwise supportive of trans individuals, such as supportive family members or longtime friends who have not yet become accustomed to using an individual's new name. Repeated failures to avoid deadnaming, however, can be seen as a failure to practice allyship. Deadnaming can be overt aggression or subtle microaggression indicating that the target is not fully recognized as a member of a society.
Even among those who support trans identities, there is dispute about the appropriateness about the use of former names, and deadnaming as a legitimate concept. Christopher Reed, a professor of history and scholar of queer culture, argued that objecting to deadnaming "inhibits efforts toward self-acceptance and integration." Others have argued that the freedom to deadname is not covered within the principles of academic freedom. Disputes surrounding the legitimacy of deadnaming have led to acrimonious disputes within the queer community, with some believing that deadnaming itself is a tangible harm, and others arguing that the move to prevent deadnaming is tantamount to "re-education camp".
Queer scholars have theorized that trans people insist on preventing deadnaming in part as a strategy of self-assertion for what is to come: "by insisting on the primacy of the present, by seeking to erase the past, or even by emotionally locating their 'real self' in the future, that elusive place where access (to transition, health care, housing, a livable wage, and so on) and social viability tend to appear more abundant." Correcting deadnaming by third parties is cited as a way to support trans people.
Obstacles.
Attempts to stop being deadnamed can sometimes result in significant bureaucratic and administrative obstacles for trans people. The legal name change itself costs time, money and effort; further, changing corresponding information such as names, emails, class schedules in some institutions (such as school) can be difficult.
Policy responses.
On 12 March 2021, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced that its student information system would display each student's "preferred name" rather than birth name, which would eliminate deadnaming on state reports, student report cards, and teacher grade books. 