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'Men, you will not cease to exist by taking your partner’s surname' Zoe Saldana speaks out on her husband taking her name
Updated 8 years ago
This week, Zoe Saldana revealed that her husband Marco Perego had taken her surname, but that she tried to talk him out of it, worrying he’d be “emasculated… by the world."
Since then, the internet has been aflutter with people praising the couple for their powerful feminist stance.
Now, the actress has kept the conversation going by asking “Why is it so surprising, shocking- eventful that a man would take his wife's surname?”
In a lengthy post on her Facebook page, Zoe, 36, questioned why the news had gone viral, whereas a woman taking her husband’s name would never make the headlines (apart from, perhaps, Amal Clooney).
“Fathers, sons, brothers, men everywhere: Your legacy will not perish if you take your partner's surname, or she keeps hers,” Zoe wrote. “I’ve been made aware that a comment I made regarding my marriage has garnered some attention. I felt proud that my husband decided to take my last name as his own... and I his.
“I shared my hesitation with him when he told me about his decision, not only did he say, “I don’t give a shhheeeetttt!!” (with a very strong Italian accent!!) he also asked me, “Why not? What are you so afraid of?" And it made me wonder... What am I so afraid of?”
Zoe went on to write: “Why is it so surprising, shocking - eventful that a man would take his wife's surname? Women have never been asked if it’s ok for them to give up their names — why doesn’t that make the news?
“Men, you will not cease to exist by taking your partner’s surname. On the contrary — you’ll be remembered as a man who stood by change. I know our sons will respect and admire their father more because their father lead by example (sic).”
She then addressed the wider issue at hand, calling for the very notion of masculinity to be redefined.
“Gentlemen, I implore you to think outside the box - remove the box altogether,” she wrote. “Let’s redefine masculinity. A real “man” leads alongside his partner. A real man accepts his mortality. A real man acknowledges that nothing can be done alone.
“I hope that the “buzz” behind this topic isn’t just for gossip — but an inspiration for us all to look within and see what is truly important,” she added. “Let’s start by letting go of some of the limitations we have inherited from the past, and forge a new path moving forward.”
Zoe’s post was signed off: “With Love, Zoe and Marco. Sorry for any mistypes LOL”.
We’d forgive all the mistypes in the world as long as Zoe and Marco continue to challenge gender stereotypes and redefine the status quo as they have been doing so brilliantly.
Photos: Rex Features
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