As of July 1st, 2023, students who wish to go by a name different from the one given to them at birth, be it a nickname or a name a student feels better aligns with their identity, they must now obtain parental consent in order for the nickname to be used in school. Some students have nicknames that they prefer to use, while other students want to go by a name they feel better suits their gender identity and helps alleviate some dysphoria they may experience.  

Whatever the reason may be, I believe that it is an unnecessary measure to require parental permission for something as simple as a nickname or name change. It is inconvenient to require parents to find and sign yet another form for their student, on top of the many other things that they have to do. 

Speaking from personal experience, I really don’t think that this law was necessary, as most teachers ask students to inform them if the student has a nickname or other name that they prefer to go by on the first day of school. I, as someone who uses a preferred name, have not experienced issues with any of my teachers since I came out, or even after the bill was enacted this year. My teachers asked their students to let them know if they had a nickname or other name that they would prefer to be called, some students answered (myself included) while others did not, and we began the school year without a hitch. 

Some transgender students may use a different name at school than at home because it is not safe for them to come out at home. If this is the case for a student, then how would they be able to obtain parent permission from a parent who wouldn’t support them? School is meant to be a place where students can feel safe and learn, but how can a student focus if they feel uncomfortable with the name that they are being called? 

Shakespeare once wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” so why should it matter if a student wishes to be called by a different name? Why is this a matter that our government feels the need to regulate? So long as it is a name of the student’s own choosing that brings them greater happiness and comfort, and it does no harm, then there should be no justifiable reason for adding an unnecessary clause that regulates something as personal as a name.