Judgment of the Zeeland-West-Brabant District Court dated February 18, 2020
The petitioner is originally from Morocco. In the past, he discovered that he was attracted to men. Because his name is associated with the Islamic faith, the petitioner quickly encountered strong hindrance due to his first name; he often faces negative reactions from others and hears hurtful remarks.
During high school, others noticed that the petitioner was different and perceived what they called feminine traits in him. They started testing him, which led to the petitioner being bullied, insulted, later even threatened and physically assaulted. At that time, he was also afraid to admit that he was homosexual because of the societal taboo. When the petitioner’s family later found out about his sexual orientation because one of his classmates told his parents, they were very upset, and he received a scolding. The petitioner initially denied his sexual orientation. A few weeks later, his father inspected his laptop and unfortunately found evidence. He had read MSN chat messages and seen gay websites on his laptop. The petitioner was then confronted by his parents.
Although the petitioner’s parents tolerated his sexual orientation, they do not want him to bring a boy home or, worse, show it to the outside world. This is partly because they are concerned about his safety. The petitioner’s father told him that he should marry a woman, and his feelings for boys would then disappear. The petitioner did not heed this advice.
On the street, the petitioner is verbally abused by young people and even by people much older than him. They claim that he is a failure in the Islamic faith. They say that he does not deserve his name, that he will pay for it, and that he will burn in hell. The petitioner experiences a lot of trouble because of his name and wants to change it.
In line with the petitioner’s motivation, the court is of the opinion that the legal requirements for changing the name have been met. It grants the request for a change of first name.
