At a time when many women choose to keep her maiden name of his career, is very rare to see a Hollywood star, change your name after marriage. Eva Longoria Eva Longoria Parker became, but even that was seen as an unusual move.
So imagine my delight and surprise to know that Portia de Rossi, popular star of Arrested Development and Ally McBeal, among others, has officially adopted the name of his wife, Ellen DeGeneres. The couple were married at her home in Hollywood in 2008, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in California (and shortly before it was revoked).
I can not help but wonder what all the "I'm not a lady" who claim that having the names of their husbands to submit to the patriarchy would think a woman who bears the name of another woman. In this case, there is no possible argument that Portia is following a tradition in which women are property.
No, Portia and Ellen are part of a group of brave redefine the nature of marriage, and taking the name of Ellen, Portia also redefined the meaning of this tradition. Maybe it's just starting a family, a unit recognized by a common surname. Or maybe he just likes "DeGeneres" better. Whatever their reasons, the most important meaning of the election of Portia - in my opinion, anyway - is that she was free to make that decision. In the end, I think that's what all these boil the "rights" movements up - women's rights, gay rights, civil rights, etc - they all boil down to a desire for choice, the right to decision as freely as white men in the past, and the right to respect those decisions.
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