I’m cis, so am happy to be corrected. But deadnaming is using the name of a trans person they no longer go by. This is sometimes done accidentally as people are getting used to the new identity of their relatives or friends, but is also done intentionally to deny trans people their identity and insist they use the name and pronouns they were assigned at birth. In the context of Caitlyn Jenner, people will sometimes deadname as an insult and insist they only do it in this specific case because Caitlyn is not a very good person. But using a person’s deadname in this way is still insulting to trans people, as it weaponizes their identity and implies they should only be respected if they conform to certain societal expectations.
One potential answer would be to use “neè” which is translated as “born”. Often used in relation to a bride having changed their last name. e.g. Mrs. Williams neè Smith. That way you’d know that Mrs. Williams used to be Ms. Smith previously. Both are/were valid names - but at different times in the person’s life. Once you establish that the person has gone under a different name previously you can return to using the current name (and any change of pronoun) for all other mentions.
Serious question: what does deadnaming mean?
I’m cis, so am happy to be corrected. But deadnaming is using the name of a trans person they no longer go by. This is sometimes done accidentally as people are getting used to the new identity of their relatives or friends, but is also done intentionally to deny trans people their identity and insist they use the name and pronouns they were assigned at birth. In the context of Caitlyn Jenner, people will sometimes deadname as an insult and insist they only do it in this specific case because Caitlyn is not a very good person. But using a person’s deadname in this way is still insulting to trans people, as it weaponizes their identity and implies they should only be respected if they conform to certain societal expectations.
Nice summary.
With all due respect, what to do about pre transition events?
E.g. who won the 1976 Olympic Decathlon?
One potential answer would be to use “neè” which is translated as “born”. Often used in relation to a bride having changed their last name. e.g. Mrs. Williams neè Smith. That way you’d know that Mrs. Williams used to be Ms. Smith previously. Both are/were valid names - but at different times in the person’s life. Once you establish that the person has gone under a different name previously you can return to using the current name (and any change of pronoun) for all other mentions.