It may seem like a small step, but, for same sex couples, it’s a major move forward, following a legal case, a lesbian in US state Virginia has won the right to be able to take on her partner's surname.
Judge C. Randall Lowe originally rejected Leigh Anne Ruth Hunter’s request because while “the petitioner and her partner hold themselves out as a married couple,” and same-sex marriage is banned in Virginia. Therefore, Lowe ruled that the name was requested “for fraudulent purposes,”
Hunter and her partner, Jennifer Beth Surber, both petitioned to use Hunter as their middle name and Surber as their last name. The couple have been together for eight years and are raising a daughter together. They wanted to share the name to reflect their solidarity as a family, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented them in court.The couple filed a case again last November to revisit their proposed name change. This time, Virginia legal director Rebecca Glenberg argued that the name change did not and could not violate the state’s marriage law as it did not give either of the women any of the responsibilities or benefits marriage would institute.
So, even though the State wont recognize their marriage, they are now have the names to show others that they are a united family!
Well done, congratulations to them. Its one more battle won on the war for equality.
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