By way of introduction: How I came to choose my name

I was talking to a friend recently and the subject of how I chose my new name came up and I thought it a good way to introduce myself to you here. As I go along with this “Living Transgender…” project, I think it is important that you know who I am and just how I came to be here. Eventually I hope to post my entire life story – likely on a different and more personal site because it is a very long and involved story -but I can from time to time share some of it with you all so you get a bit of insight into the life of one girl who is living transgender quite happily.

Obviously, when one begins crossing genders in earnest, a new gender-matched name is needed. I started out as Evan Kent Scarborough (that was him - over there on the right 10 years ago) and I love the name my parents gave me. I did not want to seem disrespectful so I tried to stay with as much of it as possible.

My first name was easy – the old name was Evan and almost the same sound is heard in Eva if both the “E” and “a” employ the short vowel sound. And so I wound up, symbolically too, chopping off the “n” and rolling with Eva, but instead of a Gaelic sort of sound it now seemed a bit French.

I fell in love with the name Genevieve when I heard what it means in a sci-fi book, by Elizabeth Bear, I was reading at the time I was making the decision to transition. The main character – that just happened to be a French-Canadian gal – was undergoing a transition of her own and I saw many parallels to what many trans-folk go through with all the medical procedures and emotional wrangling that accompanies drastic changes. Because of my revised first name I wanted to keep a French sort of sound too.

I just happened to need a replacement for my old middle name at that point too – I mean, really, what can one do to make Kent sound fem? (Kendra? Not)! I thought about Ruth too - I have loved that name longer than you can imagine, but it happened to be my ex-wife's middle name so that didn't work, but Genevieve fit my life perfectly (but please avoid all long vowel sounds when pronouncing it). It speaks of Genesis - God's creative work - in the "Gene", and of God breathing life into His creation in the "vieve". The "!" is my way of saying thanks to Him every time I write my name, and when I speak it you can hear it there too. That is also why you will see one even when I just use my initials – it is simply my way of giving credit where I believe it is due.

I now like the sound of the name when I put the first and middle together even better – Eva-Genevieve! It sounded like they way in my mind I imagined would fit the lady I was to become one day. Kind of sexy, flirty, haughty at times and a bit vain, but down to earth and serious when necessary - sort of the way I feel these days at about 2-1/2 years into transition.

And it even survives the yes-mother test... "Eva Genevieve Scarborough! You get down here this instant and take off those boy's clothes, right now!" "Yes, mother." You see - it sounds just right!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find this blog/vlog interesting enough to visit from time to time and to tell your friends about. We can swap links if you wish.

Hugs and blessings,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough
evagenevieve@yahoo.com
Human
Christian
Transgendered
Advocate for civil-rights and Faith without Prejudice
On Camera Host/Moderator/Coordinator - Living Transgender in American Society Today, 2008
http://www.veoh.com/channels/livingtransgender
http://livingtransgender.blogspot.com/