Matter of McIntyre

*326 OPINION

ZAPPALA, Justice.

We granted allocatur to determine whether the trial court abused its discretion by denying Appellant’s petition to change name. For the following reasons, we reverse.

Appellant, a fifty-three year old male, is a pre-operative transsexual who is undergoing hormonal therapy and psychotherapy in anticipation of sex-reassignment surgery. He has been struggling -with personal gender identity issues since the age of ten. Appellant is the father of two adult sons and has been divorced since 1983.

In 1991, Appellant began dressing as a woman and held himself out to the…