Scottish parliament removes transgender spousal veto from marriage equality bill

[Guest CassieX]

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/01/scottish-parliament-removes-transgender-spousal-veto-from-marriage-equality-bill/

[Charlize]

Great news for Scotland. I like especially there idea that recognition of gender is a basic human right. T.hank you for sharing

Hugs,

Charlie

[Guest CassieX]

It's great news. I'm originally from there so it's nice to see the 'Auld' country doing stuff like that. Plus, one day I might get around to fixing my documentation there so every victory will make that process easier.

Cassie

[Drea]

I am a bit confused here. This isn't about marriage equity bill being passed and far as I can tell though it is expected to pass in a few days which is great.

While I am all for not having stupid laws, I don't get why marriage veto is a thing. Seriously a trans person who is married would do so without their spouses acceptance? I can imagine the marital argument "well I am going to get my gender marker changed and we will be lesbians and you can't stop me[\b]".

I guess I may be the odd one out that either I would get my spouses acceptance or end up getting divorced.

But maybe divorces are impractical or I guess a divorce battle may be prolonged and it would hold up the person. I guess that makes some sense.

Seems like typically it should be a pretty small issue.

[gennee]

Great news from Scotland.

[Guest CassieX]

There are similar laws on the books in the US, such as a spouse objecting to their spouse getting a legal name change and filing suit to prevent it.

I am a bit confused here. This isn't about marriage equity bill being passed and far as I can tell though it is expected to pass in a few days which is great.

While I am all for not having stupid laws, I don't get why marriage veto is a thing. Seriously a trans person who is married would do so without their spouses acceptance? I can imagine the marital argument "well I am going to get my gender marker changed and we will be lesbians and you can't stop me[\b]".

I guess I may be the odd one out that either I would get my spouses acceptance or end up getting divorced.

But maybe divorces are impractical or I guess a divorce battle may be prolonged and it would hold up the person. I guess that makes some sense.

Seems like typically it should be a pretty small issue.

Well, truth to be told it's not so black and white as that. Many spouses use verbal and emotional blackmail to prevent their transgender partner from moving forward with their transition and changing their gender marker or name for that matter. Not every marriage can be dissolved quickly, especially where there are children or property involved. Sometimes the laws of a state can add an extra wrinkle to the process too so I think they are definitely doing the right thing in Scotland by passing this law. The article did make me smile though, 'Scotlanders' isn't any word I've heard used before to describe Scots.

Cassie

[Carolyn Marie]

Sounds like good news to me. Thanks for posting it, Cassie.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[Drea]

Many spouses use verbal and emotional blackmail to prevent their transgender partner from moving forward with their transition and changing their gender marker or name for that matter.

Such is only meaningful if it is one's hope to keep the marriage. Otherwise such blackmail has no power.

And if it is one's desire to salvage the marriage running off and doing such without one's partner won't exactly help further that end.

So I find that un-persuasive

Now I do agree with your point that it could take some time for divorce to get completed and I can see the benefit there and I stated that in my initial post.

Now here is an idea. Wouldn't the law be better, more favorable for trans if the law expressly prevented gender transion of one partner in a marriage as being a valid cause for filing/getting a divorce?