…about nicknames, especially designated nicknames or second names because of students sharing the same name. There are all kinds of reasons besides gender issues for why someone prefers a different name to their given name. A name is identity too. No one has the right to impose a different identity on another person.

It's by no means comparable to the threat imposed by Ricard outing children. But, when I was in second grade, the school's second grade class had numerous children with very similar sounding first names and at least two other children with my exact first name. Needless to say, it was very confusing. But, there were only three kids with names like my middle name – myself, another "Denise" spelled with a "c" and a "Dennis." Dennis was called "Denny" at home, so they opted to call him that. The other "Denice" was nicknamed, "Neicy" so she became known by that name. And, I became "Denise" for the rest of my life. Even before that, I was always trying to get everyone to call me "Denise" – I just always felt like I am Denise and not that given first name. My kin still refuse to call me "Denise," even though I legally dropped that given first name to just an initial when I married.

I cringe inwardly when someone still insists on calling me that given first name. I cannot imagine the suffering… the extending of trauma… when someone is misgendered as they are deliberately misnamed. IME, that is willful harm with "malice aforethought."