PERKINS I liked the name Nova. Mom didn’t.

Perkins was the coolest pen name.

When I had a name, it felt like time to come out as nonbinary to my family. I decided that lunch at Red Robin was the perfect place to come out to my mom. I remember my heart racing when I opened up to her over our first round of french fries.

“I want to change my name to Nova,” I told my mom.

“That sounds dumb,” she said.

She wasn’t against my being nonbinary, but she disliked the name. Looking back, I’m glad she was so brutally honest. I started looking for names again, and in 2018, I found Juniper on a naturethemed list from nameberry.com. I fell in love almost immediately. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was “Junie B. Jones.” I couldn’t think of a more perfect name to honor that 6-year-old who loved to roughhouse at recess and go home to their Barbies. My mom loved the name, too, so Juniper it was. I came to terms with my femininity and finally accepted myself. I didn’t need to fit any stereotypes to be nonbinary or a lesbian. While I was Juniper at home and with friends, school was another thing. I was too afraid to confront my teachers and classmates about my new name and pronouns, so I counted down the days until college.

I couldn’t wait for a fresh start. San Diego State University was the first school that accepted me. Because I put “Juniper” as my preferred name in my California State University applications, that’s the name they used in my acceptance email. It was so affirming. I’m happy that San Diego knows me as Juniper and nothing else. It’s my home away from home.

On Sept. 15, 2020, my name change was officially granted by the Sacramento Superior Court.

It took a while to get here, but I wouldn’t but I wouldn’t do anything different. I’m so grateful to my family and friends who not only accepted but encouraged my self-discovery. I’m so thankful for that fresh start here in San Diego. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I never moved here.

Now that you know my story, let me introduce myself. My name is Juniper B. Perkins. The B doesn’t stand for anything. I just like B, and that’s all.