Riding high on the momentum of gay rights since the "don't ask, don't tell," repeal, one hears the USA State Department has taken on a new more inclusive language in US passports issued for the first time. They have taken on a more non specific gender language, which has been applauded by many in the fight for gay and equal rights.
The State Department apparently announced the change in December, but it slipped through rather quietly as it was released the same day as Barack Obama signed legislation ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
The passport forms now have a different wording, making it more inclusive to children of same sex couples. For first-time passport applicants younger than 16 will retain "Mother" and "Father," but ask instead for the names of a child's "Mother or Parent 1" and "Father or Parent 2." The "parent" reference is seen by gay rights groups as a more gender-neutral reference for same-sex parents.
"The government is finally recognizing the reality that many children are being raised by same-sex parents," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a group that helped push for the change. "This is just one form, but there are hundreds of government forms that need to be changed to reflect the realities of the modern family."
It’s another step in the right direction in the search and fight for equality, but there is still so much to do in the battle of gay rights. Not least changing the immigration rules to afford same sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples of mix nationalities.
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