Comments on: Swedish gender equality: in name only?

By: Sieler

Sieler — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:28:29 +0000

That is in all probability the most effective article that ever cross my reference. I don’t see why anybody ought to disagree. It could be too easy #for them# to comprehend…anyway nice work i am coming again here for More Great Stuff!!

By: J Smith

J Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:43:45 +0000

I can understand basing this on the PC-ness of the name or if the name is particularly controversial. But based on gender? I am a girl with what has traditionally been a boy’s name, and apart from being accidentally enrolled in the boy’s half of a co-ed summer camp, I’ve never had an issue with it.

By: Ian Iceman

Ian Iceman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:35:27 +0000

How about UK names, weird and wonderful some are, no-one has the right to tell anyone what a name should or should not be. Sir Bob Geldolf’s daughter is named “Peaches” – The name “Leslie or Lesley” is pronounced the same, whether a male name or female. I have a friend who changed his name by deed poll to “Tommy Well Sorted” – (from Tommy Ross) – he just liked it! I have a female friend named “Charlie” and this is not short for Charlotte, it is her given name.
To quote Bill Shakespear, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” True.

Is Sweden a “Big Brother” country? What next? I always thought it quite a liberal country, where citizen’s rights are respected. Really, telling people what name they can or can’t have!

By: kaethar

kaethar — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:23:02 +0000

I don’t see this as an aspect of gender equality. Why don’t they allow a child to be named Devil? Because of the high bullying potential. Why don’t they allow a female child to be named Elvis? Because of the high bullying potential. Feminine and masculine forms of names have existed throughout history and there’s no use denying this exists in a society. You want to make a stand against it? Change your own name. Don’t use your child as a tool just to make a statement.

By: American John

American John — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:04:47 +0000

Perhaps its just my American sensibilities, but the idea of a government deciding what a person calls themselves seems more than a little silly. I’ve had family members change their names to honor other relatives. I’ve gone to school with such characters as Sputnik Television Radio (First, Middle, and Last Name). I grew up with a whole host of very odd family names, Wuten, Wiley, Shellburn. And to make it stranger, most of these names were interchangeable regardless of gender. How is it ever the government’s business as to what I call myself or what others call me? It sounds an awful lot like a certain state bureaucracy is making work for themselves rather than attending to what they were designed to do in the first place.

By: Rod

Rod — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:27:14 +0000

The article’s author is soo…worried about the parents right to name their daughter “count dracula” or watever they want that he or she doesn’t mention the daughter’s rights. Doesn’t she have the right not to be bullied or ridicularized in school by fellow classmates?Doesn’t she have the right to grow up with as a normal swedish girl with a regular name?Those parents are extremelly selfish trying to discount in their children their anger towards government or society or watever…

By: LB

LB — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:38:51 +0000

We cannot change our personal number but as free individuals we can change our name and should be able to do so officially. A name is not just a name but it represents a kind of pyschological package. The name given to us at birth holds a lot of emotional force and our personal history. Due to the emotional past associations of names many people chose to change them as they decide to change their outlook on life. Pop stars change names, religious people often take a relgious name, people in groups such as men or womens group often take on a new name that is a badge of acceptance in a group. Is the skatteverket saying they must be the ones who control our name/psychological image of who we are and whom we wish to be? A name is never just a name!

By: Chandramouli

Chandramouli — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:17:37 +0000

A name is a name so why make it male or female, naming babies may be of concern. But adults should have the liberty to call themselves what they want, it is not their personnal number that they want to change.

By: Danish Omer Zuberi

Danish Omer Zuberi — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:03:06 +0000

But there has to be some common sense. Gender equality in terms of education, employment, empowerment, political or economic status is great. As per scientific analysis a female is a female and a male is a male. A name is meant to identify a person. There must be some sense to it.