‘What’s your name?’ is about the signature Starbucks act of writing your name on your cup; an everyday gesture many of us take for granted, but which can be a significant act of acceptance for transgender people on a journey of self-identity. The film tells the story of a young trans man facing the everyday challenge of repeatedly being called a name he doesn’t identify with – even by family. It culminates with him trying out his chosen name for the first time at a Starbucks store, by asking to have the name James written on a cup, which is called out by a barista.

Our names are important statements of identity. Most are proud of the names given to them and pleased to hear it when said. However for the transgender community, birth names that represent a gender they do not identify with can bring with it a real sense of uneasiness and even trauma. 'Deadnaming' is a common phenomenon where birth names are incorrectly used instead of chosen names. Official records are difficult to change and so are habits, therefore official environments and even being amongst friends and family can bring about situations of deadnaming.

Whilst most may take the Starbucks experience of name-taking for granted, this simple act of recognition was actually having a profound impact on the transgender community. We discovered, there were common instances of Starbucks being the place of choice to try out chosen names and hear their name being embraced in a safe environment, in the wider world.