PETITION CLOSED
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Signatures
300 out of 2,000Petitioning
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The President of the United States
(+ 1 other)
Petitioning
close- The President of the United States
- The U.S. Senate
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The President of the United States
(+ 1 other)
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I am currently up against a wall right now, I need help, advice, or just someone to help me fight this modern day discrmination. I just got married on October 23rd 2010 to my wife Ashley. I took her last name as my own, I changed my checking account, credit cards, 401k, work information, and even my social security card to my new last name. The last and final thing I had to do was to change my drivers license. I drove up to a small town in South Dakota where i brought my marriage certificate, social security card and other forms of ID. The lady that was handling my concern looked over my marriage certificate with a fine toothed comb, scoffs, tosses the marriage certificate back at me and says '' its no good'' . I was thinking she thought it was a fake document in which I reply '' no thats from the state of Iowa court house'' in which she replies '' I know, what im telling YOU is this is no good HERE as in we dont observe this'' So then i think she is thinking that I am applying for spousal benefits so I then say '' no im just getting my name changed thats all'' in which she replies, by this time she is becoming more irritated with me '' what i am telling you is you CAN'T change your last name in the state of SOUTH DAKOTA'' I showed her my social security card and said that it was changed at a federal level... and she explains to me that doesnt matter. There was a lady sitting next to her, someone who also worked there that chimed in '' get an attorney'' I sat there shocked thinking that this really couldnt be happening, I walked out of the courthouse crying, when i got outside I looked at my surroundings to make sure I was still in the year 2010, and not in the 1950's. I immediately started calling people that would know anything about this or any way around this. I got lots of idea's such as just walk in with my social security security card with my new last name with no explainations.. nope that will not work the state of S. Dakota now requires you to a REASON for the name change, my reason is marriage, my proof is my marriage certificate, yet another dead end. Then someone told me to go to Iowa apply for a license there get my name changed and then go BACK to S. Dakota and present them with my Iowa drivers license with my new name, well, that wont work either S dakota requires you provide PROOF of your name change since you left the state, again thats my marriage certificate. No good. Then I obtained a copy of what the state of S. Dakota calls a '' supplemental name change form, however if you read the big paragraph at the end you will soon realize that this is also not going to work it states as follows'' Please be advised that pursuant to article XXI 9 of the constituion of South Dakota and SDCL 25-1-38, only a marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in South Dakota. Further, the uniting of two or more persons in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other quasi-marital relationship shall not be valid or recognized in South Dakota. A name change on a driver license or ID card will not be permitted upon presentation of a certificate of marriage deemed to be invalid under South Dakota law. '' I talked to one of the head supervisors at the DMV he said that I could possible go through the court systems, but basically it would be a waste of time because by the time I got to the judge he would simply read this paragraph to me and dismiss my case. Also he had said '' sounds like this law is trying to run gays and lesbians out of the state of South Dakota '' and this is such a true statement, because whatever avenue you take it leads you nowhere. It is important to have your drivers license in your last name, if you think about it... you need it to fly on a commercial airline, you need it to rent a car, you need it if you write a check or use a credit card at a store, to file my taxes in January, to start a new job, you even need it to vote. How can I be running around with two last names? My social security card is one name, my drivers license another? I feel that this is stripping me of more rights than just to have my wifes last name, I dont feel it's right at all. My name has already changed on a federal level, just not at a state level please join me in my fight to carry my wifes last name just as any hetero couple would be allowed to do.
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Name change in South Dakota
Greetings, President Obama and US Senate
I am writing you today because i feel that my rights as an american citizen have been stripped away by one South dakota state law ''Please be advised that pursuant to article XXI 9 of the constituion of South Dakota and SDCL 25-1-38, only a marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in South Dakota. Further, the uniting of two or more persons in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other quasi-marital relationship shall not be valid or recognized in South Dakota. A name change on a driver license or ID card will not be permitted upon presentation of a certificate of marriage deemed to be invalid under South Dakota law. '' My wife and I became legally united as one on October 23rd 2010 in which I had my social security card, credit cards, checking account, 401K, and information at my place of employment changed to my new legal name. My last thing to change was my drivers license, under South Dakota law they will not allow me to change my name because technically my marriage certificate is not a legal document or my marriage a valid reason to change my name because i married the same sex. It is with great importance that I have my name changed because it will make it extremely difficult OR impossible to file taxes, fly on a commercial airline, vote, or even as simple as writing a check or using my credit card at the store. It is imperative to get my name changed on my license. I feel that not only my name has been taken away but also my constitutional rights as a hardworking American citizen. My name is changed on a federal level as should also be observed at a state level. I think something should be done about this I'm not the first and nor will I be the last. I have looked for many different avenues around this law and there are none, I'd like to thank you all for listening to my concerns and will be looking forward to a prompt and timely response.
Sincerely,
Mrs Amy Stabe
[Your name]