Here’s a bit of news that just popped up, although the event it refers to is a few weeks old: The same day that Alabama ruled against same-sex marriage, a transwoman and her partner legally married in Chilton County. The judge doing the ceremony said it was legal because the transwoman had not undergone gender reassignment surgery, and was thus still biologically male. (Thanks to the Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief for the tip.)
On the flip side, Abigail Garner points out the case of a Nebraska couple with one MTF spouse, whose 37-year marriage is in danger of annullment because of a same-sex marriage ban. All that fighting to be recognized as the gender you really are, only to have to fight for your relationship to the one you love.
As Abigail points out, citing the daughter of the couple above, trans issues can be a hidden weapon in the fight for marriage equality. Legal same-sex marriages already exist, when we include couples with at least one trans partner. It’s a good thing transgender rights are making progress and transgender people seem to be finding more acceptance within the rest of the LGBT community. They deserve it for themselves, but we’ll all benefit.
