Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project Helps Trans Folks Create New Holiday Treasures

As the holidays approach once more, it can be a challenging time, especially for queer and trans folks. Sarah Kogod launched the Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project last year with this in mind, and the effort ended up being a much-needed service and gesture for many people in the LGBTQ community.

The project sends free personalized Christmas tree ornaments to trans people who have changed their names as a step to help rebuild their sentimental holiday items without using their dead names. The holidays often hold important and treasured memories for folks, so Rainbow Sheep’s aim is to help trans folks to build new memories and hold those traditions close as their true, authentic selves.

“If you’re sentimental about the holidays, you likely have years of personalized ornaments that you’ve collected over time, some dating back to childhood,” the Rainbow Sheep website reads. “But something that brings one person good memories could be painful to someone else. Many transgender people who change their name choose to disassociate from the name they were given at birth, often as a necessary way to help heal from trauma.”

Last year, LGBTQ Nation covered the project, and Kogod says that coverage contributed to the success of the project.

“Last year, we ended up sending 132 ornaments to trans people in 9 different countries (and 36 states),” she tells LGBTQ Nation this year. “We had requests for people to add pronouns, partners, coming out dates, and even requests to commemorate dates they began hormone therapy.”

She added that she was surprised at the response to the project, in that she knew they were doing something cool, but she had no idea how impactful the project would end up being.

My ornament from the Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project arrived. ✨
thanks @sarahkogod … https://t.co/2d7P0BwmCj

— raye (@ta2dalchemist) December 9, 2020

“I have gotten emails and messages from people who reveal that this is their first ornament—and sometimes their first of anything – with their name on it. Others have said that their family keeps putting ornaments with their dead name on their tree, or they continue to get gifts personalized with their dead name.”

Transgender people who qualify are asked to fill out a form online to get their ornament, with no personal information shared and no need for additional information to “prove” they changed their name. Though the deadline has now closed, Kogod tells LGBTQ Nation she hopes to reach even more people this year, in all 50 states.

The website adds, “Transgender people are constantly being asked to prove their identity—at the airport, at hotels, at the store, when filling out forms, on job applications, and on and on. You don’t have to prove your identity to us—you are you!”

Photo courtesy of Rainbow Sheep Ornament Project’s website