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Gay Attleboro man can't get passport under married name
Top Headlines But when the Attleboro resident recently applied for a new passport so he could go to Africa, he learned the U.S. State Department would not recognize his new hyphenated name because he is a gay man married to another man. He said the State Department said it was prohibited from recognizing his new name by the Defense of Marriage Act. "We are unable to comply with your request for a name change based on the documentation you sent because of the Defense of Marriage Act ...," the letter states. "In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administration bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word 'marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." A spokeswoman for the department said she cannot discuss individual cases because of privacy rights.  Jason Hair-Wynn, of Attleboro, holds a letter from the U.S. State Department rejecting his application for getting a new passport. Hair-Wynn, an AIDS counselor, wants to bring his expertise to help AIDS victims in Africa, but has been denied because his marriage to another man is not recognized by the Defense of Marriage Act. (Staff photo by MARTIN GAVIN)
Hair-Wynn said when he first received the envelope from the State Department he was excited. But when he opened it and read the letter, he was shocked."When I got the letter, I said, 'I can't even process this. This is legal discrimination. It is weird to get discrimination in writing,' " he said. The former Jason Hair of Attleboro got married in Sudbury in 2005 and changed his name to Hair-Wynn. The state of Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriages. The Registry of Motor Vehicles had no problem changing the name on his driver's license and the Social Security Administration changed his name on his Social Security card. But, the State Department was another matter. The Defense of Marriage Acts stipulates that only marriages between men and women are recognized by the federal government. "It's sad. It's really sad. You think we've come so far," he said. Hair-Wynn said he wants to go to Africa as part of a volunteer effort to educate children about AIDS and the HIV virus. "All I want to do is help people," he said. He said he is scheduled to go to Ghana in late July and stay through August. He is supposed to live in a village and work at orphanages. The group he is affiliated with is also trying to raise $25,000 for travel expenses and educational kits for the children through its Web site at wespreadthetruth.org. They are also looking for donations of crayons and coloring books. The only alternative Hair-Wynn has is to change his name back to Jason Hair, a sacrifice he said he is willing to make to help the children of Ghana. "It's definitely a hurdle, but it is something I'm willing to get over," he said.
Post Your Comments scunniff wrote on Apr 9, 2008 6:46 PM: " Jason is my son-in-law. I am very proud of my boys for their commitment to each other and to the lives of others. This is just a small detour on the road of all the good they will contribute to the world. " TryAgain wrote on Apr 9, 2008 1:25 PM: " Well kevin h, I don't think when most people hold up a rejection letter, they're going to have their happiest face on. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 8, 2008 12:31 PM: " TryAgain, Did you not even look at the photo of his sad face? " TryAgain wrote on Apr 7, 2008 5:46 PM: " Actually KevinH, He said the situation was sad, not him. Also, any parents who raised a son who obviously has a strong, committed relationship and is doing work that benefits others would be anything but sad. They should be extremely proud of their boy and I'm guessing they already are. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 7, 2008 8:23 AM: " If you think he's sad, just think of his parents. " TryAgain wrote on Mar 25, 2008 2:23 PM: " McKinley-Babb, I definitely didn't want my comments to be thought of as simplistic. They were just very focused on a specific thing he could do to take care of the immediate problem. You stated you were in a similar situation - I'm in that same one and although my choice was slightly different (I took on my partner's last name), I wanted to share what I did that made logistical junk like Jason's issue easier to deal with. Believe me, I know what can be involved with things that most take for granted - I'm married in one country but not in the state I live, I'm a father to a little boy whose other dad's status is sometimes called into question, etc... Hopefully Jason can get this issue resolved so he can continue the good work he is wanting to do. " McKinley-Babb wrote on Mar 24, 2008 12:46 PM: " The point of the story is that this would not have occurred should Jason be married to a woman, so I have a hard time finding the correlation between the comments posted here and Jason’s reality.
This is a problem on a multitude of levels and isn't isolated to simply getting a passport and affects many more than one might think. I am very interested in knowing what the resolve is as I have the same dilemma. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as changing your name on a Federal level – although that’s a start, thank you for that. And thank to Jason for sharing his story. " TryAgain wrote on Mar 22, 2008 2:21 AM: " Jason has another very valid option! Go to the court and do a legal name change. He was probably using his marriage certificate as proof of his new name which is fine under most circumstances, but in this case, if he just goes and gets his name changed legally, he'll have no problem. This of course ignores the fact that the federal government is a bunch of morons for not recognizing his name, but it would solve his dilemma concerning his passport. " Johnny K wrote on Mar 21, 2008 8:29 PM: " Again I say - the light is being shed on this because of the “INJUSTICE”, and the “DISCRIMINATION” that is involved. Do you not think that people of color went through hardship from state to state before some state laws changed? Does the law as ridiculous and discriminatory as it may be, make it right just because it is written?
Did you know in South Carolina a marriage can be declared void if either of the two persons is physically impotent? Don’t think for a minute that many states had this same ridiculous law in-place years ago too, but you know what? - those states “EVOLVED” And know this - so goes Massachusetts, so goes the nation! " Realist wrote on Mar 21, 2008 5:01 PM: " Can we stop the violin music. It has nothing to do with love or discrimination. It's called bureaucracy.
I feel that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, but that's not the point. The Federal Government, which issues passports, does not recognize gay marriage. Neither do any of the other states or US territories or most nations of the world. Laws running afoul of each other should not be front page news. " self_evident wrote on Mar 21, 2008 4:07 PM: " I'd like to speak for myself on behalf of this article. Kolbeedoo, that's unfortunate what happened to you and your wife, I think the positive in that was that you were not denied based on your love for one another. And deeming yourself, "breeders" is such an ugly labeling.
I don't feel as though I'm a victim, the victim here is the children in Africa. I never intended for this craziness to come out regarding the passport. Furthermore, I was contacted and did not seek out media coverage. The coverage I sought was for the trip and for fundraising. Unfortunatly things such as my "sexual orientation" came into play amidst this craziness and I really wish it hadn't. Again, this is all about the children in Ghana and this situation is unfotunate. When you receive a letter in the mail saying that you are denied for no "real" good reason. I think any human being would be morally crushed, when this has never been about myself from the start. Life is too short to get maddened by front page stories regarding gender, race, and orientation. Thanks for the feedback, it makes me understand society's stand on whom I love. " no good deed goes unpunished" " kolbedoo wrote on Mar 21, 2008 3:51 PM: " A few years ago my wife and I were travelling to europe. At the airport we found out thet the ticket was issued in her married name but her passport was still in her maiden name and they told us we couldn't go.
Unfortunately we're only "breeders" so we didn't get front page coverage on Good Friday - we just had to have her ticket reissued in her maiden name.... " jose21 wrote on Mar 21, 2008 2:29 PM: " Kevin - if this was a married woman having this same trouble, wold it be worthy of your front page? Maybe the factt hat the guy is heading to africa to help people makes the story stand out a little more. " Johnny K wrote on Mar 21, 2008 2:09 PM: " Kevin, social Injustice and discrimination typically makes headline news. " skeptic wrote on Mar 21, 2008 9:30 AM: " Another hapless "Victim of the system" makes the front page of the SC. Most of the country, the world for that matter, does not recognize same-sex marriage. Yet we expect them to bend to our ways. " kevin h. wrote on Mar 21, 2008 8:08 AM: " THIS?!? is what passes as front page news???? " Harry Hindsight wrote on Mar 21, 2008 7:44 AM: " The confusing part here is that only the state recognizes the marriage and not the federal government. So that covers the state issued drivers license but I though that your SS number/card was a federal thing. If your SS number is a federal number issued by a state agency, then it makes sense. It seems to be a case of seperation of powers between states and the federal government. As for discrimination, I think not. He has the benefit of living in a state that allows same sex marriages, can gay couples in the other 49 states even bring up a issue like this. I can see the confusion this may cause when going through customs in countries where same sex marriages are not allowed. Traditionally, the female takes on the males' last name, they even do hyphenate it to maintain their maiden name. So Mr. Hair-Wynn's passport may be confused for a misprint of where the Mr. should have been Mrs. " or
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