A decision by a judge in Georgia to deny a transgender man's petition for a name change is being challenged by a gay rights group, according to news reports.

Columbia County Superior Court Judge J. David Roper rejected a petition filed by a 21-year-old man to legally change his name from Delphine to Andrew Baumert, WRDW TV reported.

An appeal filed by Lambda Legal on Thursday states Roper would only approve "gender neutral" names, the report states.

"Roper would have "approved a name he could live with ... like Morgan, Shannon, Shaun and Jaimie." Those names are considered gender-neutral, which is the only thing Judge Roper would allow for both men," the report continued.

"It was humiliating and insulting to be told by the court that I would not be able to change my name legally when I'm already known as Andrew by my family, my friends, and my community," said Baumert in press release released by Lambda Legal to WXIA-TV.

"I work in labs all day, but it doesn't take a scientist to know that this judge's ruling was based on sexist opinions about 'appropriate' names."

Roper explained his position in court, another report states.

"My policy is to allow someone who claims to be transgendering--and I've had them in various stages--my policy is to permit someone to change, in your case, from an obviously--what appears to me to be a female name to something that is gender-neutral," Roper said, according to a hearing transcript that was posted on LAW.com.

"He addressed Baumert as 'ma'am' and suggested that Baumert might want to "rethink the name situation and come back to me with a name that I can live with," that report stated.

Roper said for Baumert to use a traditionally male name would "confuse or mislead the general public."

Thursday's appeal "came just months after (Lambda) filed a similar appeal against the same judge after he refused to change a transgendered man's name from Rebeccah to Rowan," WAAY TV reported.