THE RIGHT TO A NAME FOR TRANS PEOPLE IN BRAZIL: INSTITUTIONAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

This study analyzes the right to a name for transgender people in Brazil, emphasizing its role as a personality right and an expression of human dignity. It asks how institutional barriers and socioeconomic marginalization limit the effective realization of this right. The analysis examines the distinction between civil registry and social name, as well as the legal and practical consequences of this differentiation for citizenship. It also reviews the evolution of registry rectification, from the former pathologizing model that required sex-reassignment surgery to the recognition of gender self-determination by the Supreme Federal Court and Provision No. 73/2018 of the National Justice Council. The study highlights ongoing challenges, including misinformation in notary offices, excessive bureaucracy, and the broader context of marginalization and violence affecting transgender people. It concludes that legal reforms alone are insufficient and that genuine inclusion requires coordinated public policies, institutional training, and cultural change.