Kim Helena, 22, lives in Jardim São Luís, in the south part of the city of São Paulo. In January of this year, the production assistant, a trans woman, had her name and sex notarized, an old wish.
The young woman is one of the 1,124 Brazilians across the country who, according to a survey by Arpen (National Association of Registrars of Natural Persons), had their names and gender rectified in the civil registry office in the first six months of this year.
Since the ruling of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in 2018, which recognized the right of transsexuals to adjust their gender identity and name without the need for a sex change operation, so many requests have never been made in a semester.
This year's number is 44% higher than the one recorded from January to June last year (782).
"There comes a time when it's hard to put up with the small daily acts of violence. In many situations, presenting your document with a male name is a source of stress. As much as you have a social name, not every place sees it as a priority", says Kim Helena.
Translated by Cassy Dias