First of all, I new here, so hi!
I have gone by initials (B.J.) as my name my whole life. I hate my first name; it’s my father’s name and never felt like mine. On top of everything, it’s almost impossible for people to pronounce correctly despite being only four letters long. It’s just the thing I have to put on forms for me. As initials are gender neutral and it never bothered me to be called by them (even with the double entendre).
So I picked a name that would allow people to keep calling me what they’ve always called me if they so choose, and it allows me to keep using it as a professional name.
I picked my first name because my cisgirl name would have been Rebecca. My first initial is “B,” so Becca. Pretty simple. Joan is my mother’s first name (ironically, she has never liked it and goes by her middle name). It has a nice flow, and sounds like a Southern girl’s name, and I am what I am.
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