The Obama Administration has at least partly changed its position on married gays and lesbians to allow them to use one surname when applying for passports. The move is significant because under the previous law, same-sex marriages were not given the same credence as heterosexual unions, and many saw the passport rule as demeaning.

But the revision also has a practical benefit: same-sex couples that are identified by different surnames often face a barrage of questions when going through customs in the US and abroad. Under the new law, those couples will be allowed to travel in a far more civilized manner.

The change does not, however, mean that the State Department is now recognizing same-sex marriages and civil unions as valid. It was made to comply with an amendment to the Code of Federal Regulations that took effect in February 2008.

[Image: US Government]