F*&% It! If We Can’t Legally Marry, Then We Can Legally Change Our Names!

Written by CHRISTOPHER HICKS-MARSHALL a.k.a. CHUMA

Ok, so I’m just going to give it to you straight, no chaser, no editing, no zen, no nice-nice. I am so fucking pissed off that Proposition 8 eliminated the right for same-sex couples to marry. It’s so goddamn unfair. And if I could just slap the shit outta all those mother fuckers that voted for that shit, I would!

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, let me return to peace and share with you how my partner and I affirmed our union. On October 3rd, Dammeon and I finalized our legal name change at the Superior Court of Georgia to reflect our union as being one family. We merged our last names together, making us now the Hicks-Marshall family.

It was such a liberating and affirming process to complete. Although in our hearts we were already married, legally changing our names personally and spiritually confirmed the longevity of our relationship, as far as hope for the future. We plan to be together for the rest of our lives, so taking this step was a declaration made without doubt or concern regarding the strength of our bond. Also, in an effort to make a powerful statement, the reason we merged our names was to apprise the world we are a part of each other—a oneness, to clearly define it. Heterosexual people get that opportunity through the institution of marriage, why can’t we have the same expression?

I must say these past few months have felt really special to change our names on all of our paperwork, wills, deeds, insurance, beneficiary information, and whatever else that show our togetherness as a family. But the best part of writing down our new names has been during the holiday season. Sending out cards that say Happy Holidays from Christopher and Dammeon Hicks-Marshall made me feel deep down in my heart, through the bond of our relationship, we somehow defeated Proposition 8. But I know for the sake of reality that is just an illusion. As a same-gender loving and LGBT community, we have more battles to fight and triumphs to capture. Equality will be ours someday, but in the meantime….fuck em! Oops, did I say that????

Be on the lookout for Chuma’s January 2009 release of memoirs and poems entitled My Ancestors Traveled Them Home, published by CHUMA SPIRIT eBooks, a subsidiary of CHUMA SPIRIT Books, LLC.