A task force organized by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Minha Criança Trans, in collaboration with the Children’s Court of Rio de Janeiro, facilitated the rectification of the names of 106 trans children and adolescents. The action took place on July 26. Now, according to the organization, all sentences have become final.
One of these people was M**, 15, who traveled with her mother from Paraná to Rio de Janeiro to obtain the right to change her name on her birth certificate and identity card. For her mother, S**, the day was unforgettable. “It was one of the most beautiful days of our lives,” she says.
She says that her daughter began her transition about a year ago. “She was extremely brave. Because from the moment she talked to me, she made the transition both at school and with her family. She really came out, in the way she recognizes herself, and it was beautiful to see her move, although it was painful, of course. Because there is a lot of prejudice, right?” she says.
According to her, her daughter suffered a lot. bullying and prejudice, and rectifying the name is a very important step. “There is a lot of pain, it is a very painful process for both the child and the family. And if we take too long to bring about this rectification process, I think it could get much worse.”
The campaign is the result of a long process of dialogue between the NGO Minha Criança Trans, the Public Defender’s Office of Rio de Janeiro and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro. In total, 106 trans children and adolescents from ten Brazilian states were assisted, in addition to four families of Brazilian children living abroad.
Unlike trans adults, who can make this correction directly at the registry office, trans children and adolescents under 18 years of age need to file a lawsuit to correct their birth certificate. According to the founder of NGO My Trans ChildThamirys Nunes, there is a lack of regulation on how this judicialization should be, as well as how the Justice system should deal with these cases.
“The objective of the campaign is to bring jurisprudence, encouragement to the judicial system, to public defenders’ offices, to public prosecutors, to replicate this in their states, in their cities, or to carry out exclusive campaigns or to include children and adolescents in campaigns that are already intended for the adult population and, mainly, to carry out training for the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Public Defender’s Office on trans issues among children and adolescents, in order to reduce stigmas, prejudice, taboos, and give dignity to trans families and children who resort to the Judiciary to guarantee this right”, he argues.
*Contributed by Priscila Thereso, reporter for National Radio.
**Initials have been used to protect the identity of the people mentioned in the article.
