Debate In The Pub.... What Happens Here

[DTCwordfan]

A couple get married - male female......the male is a transsexual encouraged by his missus. He has the surgery and becomes a 'woman' - as far as he can and changes passport, driving licence, tax etc - what happens to the validity of the marriage?

Is it annulled or still in force? If annulled, can they go into a civil partnership or homosexual marriage? £5 note riding on this one!

[murraymints]

still in force until divorce

[Tilly2]

I would say that the validity of the original marriage is still in force. Changes after the ceremony don't count.

[pixie374]

According to Google, sex isn't recorded on a marriage certificate anyway, so it shouldn't make a difference.

[DTCwordfan]

that's what I say...... one variant, I guess, is what about marriage after the change?

[pixie374]

That would depend what the birth certificate says?

[murraymints]

birth certificate never alters...you are still in a legal binding contract of marriage until such time as it is legally dissolved...

[PankySmooch]

Change pubs!

[murraymints]

you can of course change your name by deed poll

[DTCwordfan]

lol, panky, we do get some crazy debates.......

[Tilly2]

That's pubs for you. Everybody talks daft!

[tonyav]

They do by about 11pm, Yilly.

[melv16]

Were the couple from the Birmingham area?

[DTCwordfan]

tony's home town, don't think so.....though they could be from West Bromwich

[tonyav]

Sounds like somewhere in the Sheffield area to me.

[Old_Geezer]

Academic now-a-days anyway, surely. Now that they've changed the definition of "marriage" so two people of the same gender can claim they are married.

[Togo]

Marriage still valid. Y chromosome still there. Did you know that consenting adults of opposite sexes cannot form a legally recognised civil partnership?

[Old_Geezer]

Indeed.
Discrimination.
But I've said before, these pointless ceremonies ought not be a criteria anyway. Simply have the relevant questions/tick boxes on the tax form.

[DTCwordfan]

I know, it's under judicial review at the moment, a couple having filed over the injustice and their Human Rights - they have a strong case. On the news yesterday.....

[twix123]

How much will the judicial review cost the bottomless pit known as the Great British Taxpayer?

[Peter Pedant]

The marriage remains valid until someone applied to make it invalid on er valid grounds

of which he has changed gender would NOT be one
unless you also pleaded that the marriage has broken down because of it

Annulment by surgical operation is just not a legal thingey

and once it is annulled ( actually there are no grounds for annulment - like they havent had sex and she can say she didnt know as she is encouraging it ) so once they have divorced they can then go on to contract other unions

as to whether it is homosexxual marriage or civil partnership will depend on the current case before the European Court altho I suggest that it depends on the current registered gender/sex