Coming out is often an extremely difficult decision and process for many, if not all transgender people. Coming out to your life partner is especially difficult, particularly if one is married or has children.
However, another factor that often isn’t considered is how Aussie law treats you if one member of a heterosexual marriage comes out as transgender.
Due to Australia’s backwards, old-school, may we say bullshit marriage laws, two members of the same sex cannot marry. So that means, if one member comes out as transgender, the couple must divorce. Even if they’ve been married for decades.
Greens senator Janet Rice and her wife, Nobel prize-winning climatologist Penny Whetton appeared on ‘The Project’ tonight, in a segment to discuss their battles with the law since Penny came out as a transgender woman.
They’ve been married for 30 years, but for Penny to legally change her gender on her birth certificate, the couple must divorce.
It’s entirely baffling, and incredibly moving to hear Janet and Penny, and another couple (who’ve faced similar issues) Janice and Brenda tell their stories.
Thanks for sharing your stories, @janet_rice, Penny, Brenda & Janice ?? #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/5L0LmMAFPH
— #TheProjectTV (@theprojecttv) March 24, 2016
You can watch the entire segment here: tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/extra/season-7/ex-husbands
Source: The Project.
