Equal Rights for Men in Marriage

To:  Governor John Baldacci

Men should be able to change their last names for marriage purposes with the same ease as women. Men must now pay court fees of more than $300 and advertise the name change in a newspaper. Women who choose to take their husband’s name when they wed pay only a $50-$80 marriage license fee.

Thirty years ago many women did not have a choice to keep their own name. We’ve come a long way, and it’s time to recognize men’s equal rights to make important family choices. It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle of families being able to make their own decisions. 67\% of families in America are "non-traditional" causing more and more engaged couples to debate on how they want their last names. Some couples choose to hyphenate their last names while in other couples, the husband chooses to take his wife's name.

At this time, only six states recognize a statutory right for men to take their wives’ last name. They are: Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, and North Dakota.

We want Maine to jump on board.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Equal Rights for Men in Marriage Petition to Governor John Baldacci was created by and written by Jesikah Knowles (knowles_lane@verizon.net).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.