according to the chicago tribune, the mexican congress has told the country's judges who perform civil marriages to stop reading the Epistle Melchor Ocampo, an obsolete bit of gender stereotyping that has long been part of the ceremonies.
Unlike many Mexican brides over the last 147 years, Veronica Mendez did not vow that she would not "exasperate" her new husband, nor promise to treat him "with the reverence due to the person who supports and defends us."
Nor was her husband, Gustavo Garcia, told to treat her "with the magnanimity and generous benevolence that the strong must have for the weak, essentially when this weak creature gives herself unto him."
delightful! i can't imagine why some women today wouldn't want this as part of their wedding. but collective common sense seems to have prevailed here.
"Lots of women were already refusing to have it read, because it perpetuates stereotypes of the man as a strong provider, the only authority within the home, and the woman as weak," said Teresa Ulloa, an activist who lobbied against the epistle in Congress. "This is a patriarchal society where misogyny exists, where extreme levels of violence [against women] are supported and permitted."
After 10 years of lobbying, the Congress passed a resolution in March exhorting judges to "eliminate" the epistle from the service.
amen to that.
No comments:
Post a Comment