Friday, November 30, 2012

"Bride, Groom" to Be History on Marriage Papers; WA State to Use More Neutral Terms Like Spouse

The words "bride" and "groom" -- as well as "husband" and "wife" -- are about to be eliminated on marriage and divorce certificates in Washington state, the New Media Journal website reports today (November 30, 2012).

Tim Church -- a spokesman for the Washington state Health Department -- said they will likely be removing those words in favor of more gender neutral terms.

He said the changes are necessary in response to the same-sex marriage law that takes effect December 6. "We've been quickly moving ahead to change our marriage certificate to make sure it fits for everyone who is going to be using it," Church said.

The words "bride" and "groom" could be replaced with "Spouse A" and "Spouse B" or "Person A" and "Person B," he added.

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