(Golden Gate Bridge: Rennett Stowe)

According to the sponsors of a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown of California, the very use of the terms- ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ is now to be considered as biased and outdated and can no longer be legally used in the state.

The new law will delete all references to “husband” or “wife” in the state’s Family Code and marriage statutes and replace it with “spouse” or ‘married persons.’ Here’s the story from Fox News:

The terms “husband” and “wife” have been deleted from California’s marriage law under a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The terms will be replaced with “spouse” to accommodate same-sex marriage, which became legal in the state last year after the Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved ban on it.

SB1306, the bill signed Monday by Brown, takes effect Jan. 1… The law also removes limits on recognizing same-sex marriages performed out of state.

The bill was authored by state Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, who said Monday…“This legislation removes outdated and biased language from state codes and recognizes all married spouses equally, regardless of their gender.”

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Response: The terms really are not ‘biased’ but refer to a continuing cultural reality. The bill will change the ‘legal’ usage in the state but use of the terms will still continue even among same-sex couples- Ellen will still call Portia her ‘wife.’ Christian ministers for sure will continue to use the terms ‘husband and wife’ in the traditional marriage ceremonies. So the only thing that has really changed is the legal forms in the state of California. Look for this same change to come to a state near you.           *Top