Mike Pence Being Sued by Mexican Immigrant, a Transgender Man Wanting to Change His Name

Indiana Governor Enforcing Law Banning Name Change

A transgender man who is being prevented from legally changing his name is suing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for the right to do so. Identified in court filings only as “John Doe, formerly Jane Doe,” the 31-year old man, a Mexican immigrant who was granted asylum in the U.S., told Buzzfeed News’ Dominic Holden, “It is embarrassing to present an ID that doesn’t show who I am.”

“It shouldn’t be be this hard just to be yourself,” Doe added. 

A 2010 Indiana state law being enforced by Gov. Pence bans Doe from being allowed to change his name, because he is not a U.S. citizen. He is suing to have the court rule that his due process, equal protection, and privacy rights under the Fourteenth Amendment are being violated.

“A couple weeks ago, I had to call [the] insurance company to change records, and they wouldn’t talk to me because they said my voice doesn’t match my name. I had to go through different procedures to show it was me,” Doe says to illustrate his plight. 

Pence has a long and storied history of being anti-immigrant, as does his presidential running mate, Donald Trump. The Indiana Republican also has a challenged relationship with the LGBT community, especially after signing into law an anti-gay “religious freedom” bill last year.

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license