Jiyah Bolden. (Screenshot via Be Diverse Network’s Instagram)
LAKELAND, Fla.| Be Diverse Network has launched a Call Me By My Name campaign to provide assistance to gender diverse people wishing to legally change their name and more.
Founded in 2023, BDN’s mission is “to empower and uplift the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community,” their website explains. The organization is “deeply committed to fostering inclusion, eradicating stigma and creating opportunities that bridge the gap to a brighter future.”
BDN’s work ranges from advocacy to education to practical support. The organization envisions “a world where everyone, regardless of their background, can thrive, succeed and celebrate their uniqueness.”
Among other services, they provide assistance for individuals seeking employment, starting businesses and fostering entrepreneurship. They do this through resume building, interview preparation, entrepreneurship counseling and more.
To complement its existing offerings, BDN recently their “Call Me By My Name” merchandise campaign.
“Today, we make a statement. Today, we demand respect. Today, we say it loud CALL ME BY MY NAME,” BDN Founder and President Jiyah Bolden announced April 25 via social media.
“This campaign was created to help trans individuals change their names and step fully into their truth. For so many of us, a name is more than just a word it’s freedom, safety and dignity,” she continued. “… Support the movement. Be part of the change.”
“The money that comes from the Call Me By My Name campaign helps us be able to give [trans] girls resources to help get their name changed,” Bolden said in another video.
She added that the campaign intends to do much more than provide trans people with funds.
Purchasing merch from BDN “means helping them get their fingerprints, helping them get their documents that they need done, guiding them to the resources and also connecting them with people in their area that are doing the same thing.” In another video, she shared sales will additionally go towards sustaining the organization as a whole.
For more information about Be Diverse Network and its Call Me By My Name Campaign, visit BDNetwork.org, follow them on Instagram @BDNFlorida and view their Etsy store at BDNFlorida.Etsy.com.
