Same-sex spouse denied passport
 

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- A man who married his partner of 23 years after gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts is having trouble getting a new passport.

Donald Henneberger, formerly Donald Smith, recently received a letter from the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, denying his request for a name change on his passport. The center said it would not recognize a marriage license for a same-sex couple as proof of a name change.

The center addressed the letter to "Mr. Henneberger."

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast...t.ap/index.htm

and yet somehow--- life goes on.

I got an error message when I went to read the site, but really, as long as they still recognize him for the passport under his "maiden name", which I'm 99.99% sure they would, what's the big deal? Here in North Carolina, when my mom went to get her driver's licence, she doesn't have a legal middle name, so they made her use her maiden name for her middle name. It's just a name. If Mr. Smith loves Mr. Henneberger what difference does it make what their passports say?

Did anyone think that this would be a smooth process?

Is it absolutely necessary to change the name on the passport?

Not at all.

How would a same sex couple decide who changes his/her name?

Honest question.

Passports have a no-alias rule. That means your legal name is on the passport.

Last time I checked, a marriage certificate wasn't enough for anyone to claim their name was legally changed. (at least where I am)

I'm curious. Since I'm not married and I've never had to change my name I've never worried about stuff like this. But what happens if someone does marry and they change name and therefore change their drivers license, health card, credit cards, etc, etc. They're not allowed to change the name on the passport?

I believe you have to get change your name legally to change your name on the passport (in Ontario you get a change of name certificate if you're born here, or else you get a new citizenship card). My father's name on all of this "info" (drivers licence, health card etc) is different from his legal name. When he wanted to get a passport he asked if his common name could be used on the passport. They told him straight out that he had to have his legal name on this passport - even though he doesn't use it.

but this is all location based - that's ontario... mass. could be different.

But when you change your name after marriage isn't the legally changing your name. You have to fill out a million and one forms to do that.

It is in the states.

Gee that is ODD. When I got married and wanted to change my name on my driver's license in Illinois, I had to present my marriage license from Indiana as proof I got married.

In the states, changing your name via a marriage is a legal name change. In order to change my name on my driver's license, soc security card, etc... I had to show a copy of my marriage license. From what I understand, you do the same for your passport, but since most passports are valid for a longer period of time (10 years as opposed to 5 or so for licenses) you get a stamp or a paper you show with your passport saying your name has legally been changed. When your passport expires, you get a new one with your correct name.

Okay, never mind.

No a marriage license is not enough here (Ontario where Kappaloo and I are from) to prove that your name has been legall changed. After one is married, you have to legally change it by filling out a million and one forms.
Many people do not change their names after marriage, so just showing a license isn't proof enough. Because, I believe, on the marriage licenses here, it's the maiden name that appears.

It wasn't always like that....darn feminism. Anyway, at least you don't live in Quebec, where you can't change your last name at all.