Journal Kymermosst's Journal: Name changing: a continuation 3
Regarding this discussion. The summary is that it's apparently almost impossible to change your name in Quebec, especially for customary reasons. This was supposedly instituted in order to further women's and children's rights.
tomhudson's last reply to me inexplicably brings up religion as if I was making some sort of religion-based argument for name changing. At what point do I present religion as the prime argument for allowing people to change their names?
Hell, I don't even limit it to the case of marriage in the discussion, that's just how it began. I think people should be able to change their name at any time for any reason whatsoever to any thing they want. Even to something patently offensive. They should be able to make that name legal.
There are many cases where one would want to change their names besides personal reasons or some custom. I can only imagine what the likes of Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan might have said or would say about not being able to escape from their "slave names." Or if little Adolph Hitler would like to get a new name, but the state says no you have to live with it.
Your name is part of your identity. It is wrong for anyone to tell you what it is or should be, and it is wrong to be forced to live with what your parents decided for you well before you were able to express your own identity.
It is just incomprehensible that the state will tell you "your name is what your parents said it is, and you have no recourse."
It is the worst assault a government can make against an individual -- an assault on your right to choose the immediate reference to who you are to the rest of the world: your name.
it doesn't need to stop there (Score:1)
I'm reminded of the recent "too hot for Citibank" situation, where a lady was canned for dressing and looking too beautifully (albeit professionally). And I've read that statistically, more attractive people tend to be more successful in their careers. So if govt. needs to meddle with what I'd certainly call one of our natural rights, maybe it also needs to enforce more uniformity in how we look and dress, to address such discrimination and disparities. As a balding fellow, I think this is the first thing t
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. If they can do this with your name, they can do it with anything about your personal identity and expression of it.
Frankly I don't see how this policy can be compatible with "progressive" attitudes toward gender identity. If someone born male wants to get a sex change, they have to keep their male name? I guess maybe you can legislate gender identity...
If they have an exception for that situation, what makes that reason to want a name change more important than mine?
Enlightenment (Score:2)
Geez.
You know, I keep reading posts on Slashdot about how Canada is so much more enlightened than the US, and how we should try to be more like them. If this is the kind of tripe they're talking about, Canada can keep it's "enlightenment" to itself. It's kind of funny actually... I have several friends and coworkers from Canada and they all share two traits: (1) none of them are from Quebec and (2) they all would be happier if Quebec fell into the ocean.
I don't want to really get into it, but tomhudson's a