mr and mrs degeneres?

Okay, I'm all for equal rights to same-sex couples, let me just be very clear about that.

But Portia de Rossi wanting to take on the surname of her partner Ellen Degeneres? Strange.

Why do gay people want to take on all the crappy trappings of conventional marriage? Sure, it means legal and financial security, but it also brings a whole shitbag of other things with it (okay, i'm a child of divorce, don't expect this argument to be an unbiased one).

Portia changing her last name to Degeneres also brings a sense of old-fashioned dominance and power into the mix. I'm no expert, but wouldn't same-sex couples aspire to modern, equal relationships rather than ones tied-up with male-dominated, patriarchal values?

By her taking on Ellen's surname, doesn't that make her the "wife" and Ellen the "husband" figure?

I love Ellen (watching her talk show is a secret indulgence of mine from time to time) but this just strikes me as odd and unnecessary. Then again, i'm probably just looking too deeply into it.

Let's just hope Ellen's trademark dance-break at the beginning of her shows doesn't turn into a militant, goose-step as a result.