GAY MAN HAS TROUBLE GETTING PASSPORT UNDER NEW MARRIED NAME: From the Associated Press

Getting married to his partner of 23 years is proving easier for a Springfield man than obtaining a passport.

Donald Henneberger recently received a letter from the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, N.H., 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.

Ironically, the center addressed the letter to "Mr. Henneberger."

Henneberger, formerly Donald Smith, married his partner Arthur Henneberger in May, when same-sex marriages became legal in the Bay State. On the marriage license the couple checked a box that automatically changes the last names of the partners to whatever they request.

The name change occurs at the cost of the marriage license, which in the case of the Hennebergers was $15.

The letter from the National Passport Center cites the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which states a marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and a spouse can only refer to a person of the opposite sex.

Donald Henneberger said he had no trouble with the Social Security Administration, another federal agency, when he requested a card in his new name, reported The Republican of Springfield.

The couple now has gone to Probate Court to get further proof of Henneberger's name change.

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posted by Eve at 3:33 PM | link

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