What's in a Name?

"Transgender" has become a broad term that applies to people who identify and/or express themselves with a gender other than their birth sex. Currently, there is no federal law explicitly prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in employment, housing, public accommodations or any other area of law. However, states are taking baby steps, beginning with New York, which has become a leader in recognizing name changes that transfer across sexes. Overcoming issues such as requiring a doctor's note for a transgender to get a name change and publicizing all name changes in a newspaper, which would provoke safety problems for those in gender transition, Manhattan courts are slowly paving the way for these individuals to begin settling into their new identities.

Read about it here.