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In advance of same-sex weddings beginning in Washington state on December 9th, the state’s Department of Health has revised the marriage certificate to allow spouses to choose the terms that best apply to them. From the DOH:
Marriage certificate changes give options for traditional, same-sex couples
New approved form retains “bride” and “groom” and adds gender-neutral option
OLYMPIA – Revisions to Washington’s marriage certificate to conform with the new same-sex marriage law gives couples a full range of options — gender-neutral or gender-specific terms. The new form has been sent to local auditors around the state. The form is effective December 6 when the law takes effect. Marriage certificates are filed after the marriage.
Secretary of Health Mary Selecky approved the rules-change to add “spouse” to the existing language that includes “bride” and “groom.” Couples can check a box to choose the term they prefer. The original proposed change was to replace “bride” and “groom” with “spouse,” but many public comments suggested providing optional language, and Selecky agreed. More than 100 public comments were taken in writing and at a hearing in Tumwater November 28.
The state health department collects records of all people who marry or divorce in Washington, and provide copies of records to the public upon request. Current forms use gender-specific terms, including bride and groom. The new form also adds space for gender, and adds the term “parent” to the words “mother” and “father” of the applicants.
The updated version of the marriage certificate can be viewed here, courtesy of The News Tribune, and the top portion of the form is pictured at the bottom of this post.
The retention of the optional terms “bride” and “groom” on the marriage certificate should put to rest concerns raised by marriage equality opponents that making the state’s marriage law gender-blind would somehow prevent spouses from using gender-specific terms for one another.
To follow events in Washington related to the start of marriage equality, follow the Twitter hashtag #MEDayWA.
New version of Washington state's certificate of marriage.
10 Comments
And, bigot assertions to the contrary, the Earth still orbits the sun.
At Americablog – NV judge: if gays can marry, straights will decide not to, and the human race will die.
Some people are in terrible need of intervention – or a padded cell.
OMG! Heterosexual marriage id DEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, at this point what is the purpose of ANY of those three boxes on the form?
One is either married or not. Having the license without any of those boxes should be enough, unless there is still some distinction between the three insofar as the state treats the individual. But there shouldn’t be any distinction.
So someone is either a married groom, a married spouse,or a married bride and they’re all treated the same by the state. Or, they’re license-less?
The box should not need to be filled, no?
We don’t need to cater to fools. On official documents, “spouse” should suffice.
Whether homosexual or heterosexual couples wish to refer to each other as “bride,” “groom” or “bozo” is not the business of government.
@maa8722
It’s useful for statistics. Though if same/sex couples can both pick “spouse” it makes accurate tracking impossible.
One phrase that needs to die a quick death is “traditional couple” or “traditional marriage”.
The thing is, I can’t see a reason why the government *wouldn’t* accommodate these terms on the form. It’s harmless to offer them.
Frankly, I see it as the state of Washington giving couples the greatest range of options. That’s a good thing, no?
yep