I’ve spent decades protecting my last name like a younger sibling, defending it against confused teachers, frustrated government employees and customer service representatives. I’ve whiled away hours of my life spelling it out over the phone: Z as in zebra, A as in apple, N as in Naples … I’ve had clerks question my true identity and received letters addressed to the likes of Mr. Drew Zondopela-Snard (or some highly creative variation thereof). Mailing lists have always grappled with the fact that, on top of having a complicated last name, I am also a woman with a traditionally male first name.
Read the whole story at Cosmopolitan.com
