DiscussMormonism.com

Not long ago, there was a discussion regarding same sex unions/marriage where I expressed that the terminology "marriage" didn't sit right with me regarding marriage between same sex persons.

Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi were married this weekend (to which I have no objection whatsoever) and the headline I just read described them as "blushing brides".

That bugs me on some level and just doesn't seem right.

Now, I fully acknowledge that the meaning of language develops over time and there will likely come a day when same sex couples who've gotten married are described as "brides" or "husbands" and it's totally accepted but...

does it strike any one else as just too quirky a description?

What other titles might same sex couples create in order to refer to each that doesn't seem so quirky?

I assure you my intention isn't to offend anyone. Looking for possible solutions or predictions from folks as to how the language might change to better suit the circumstances and please keep your gay slurs to yourself.

Jersey Girl

"Party of the first part" and "party of the second part" would seem pretty gender neutral, and have a relatively high obscure humor quotient as well.

At least they don't have to worry about 'having to get married'. Utah marriages have their own set of rules for getting married. The first comes whenever it comes..., all the rest take nine months.

How long does the gay couple wait?

Jersey Girl, I'm trying to understand your OP. You don't like that the two women were referred to as brides? So, if two gay dudes got married and they were referred to as grooms, that would get you too?

I'm curious, what exactly about them both being referred to as brides gets to you? I'm a little surprised by this. Once a person can wrap their head around gay marriage at all, it would seem that the two parties both being referred to as brides, or as grooms, would be pretty trivial.

Just wait till Ellen is interviewed and mentions her wife in the interview. Or some gay dude refers to his husband. Ouch!

Well, we are talking about a headline here, and "Blushing Brides" is obviously catchier than "Blushing Spouses" (alliteration and all that).

But like Sethbag, I'm not sure from where your specific uneasiness comes. Just because they're gay doesn't mean they're of a completely different gender. I don't see why anyone should be offended by referring to gay people with the same gender specific "nomenclature" as we afford everyone else. Your distress over this seems to be rooted in some idea that they "aren't exactly women." At least, that's how it sounds from your post.

Some Schmo wrote:Your distress over this seems to be rooted in some idea that they "aren't exactly women."

Wait a minute. Are you suggesting they're not demons who took female form? Can you prove this?

Jersey Girl..why do we have to explain everything to YOU..over and over again..I thought you did not have snow anymore..well maybe on your old TV

Jersey Girl wrote:does it strike any one else as just too quirky a description?

No. I think it's kind of cute.

That being said, I heard a couple of sextagenarians got married in California last week. They don't plan on adopting any children. They can't make any children. So with all the fuss being made about The Gays getting married I'm not sure why the same amount of fuss isn't being applied toward people who don't have a useful purpose* in mind when they get married, too.

* Making/Adopting babies, raising childrenz.

Do they meet the legal requirements of their state to get married?

Are they consenting to be married of their own free will?

Are they paying taxes like good little citizens?

If the answer to all three is "yes", then who cares what they want to call themselves.

Jersey Girl!

As far as I understand it, Your problem is the naming of the members of a same sex marriage.
Well, it origins from the stupid english language :-)> which always forces its users to discriminate by gender. (Note my beard on the smilie.)

In hungarian, we have the third person singular personal pronoun "ő" which points to any male or female. In general, no discrimination. (The german is far worse, they use different words for example in profession, the barber is Friseur, the female barber is Friseurin.)

In family relationships there are always the female, male and genderless words, as mother-father-parent in english.

The solution is: use hungarian. However, it would be a hard task, ask any returned missionary.