Couple protests gender-neutral labels

SACRAMENTO, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A California couple say they refuse to be known as "Party A" and "Party B" on their marriage license, instead insisting on the terms "bride" and "groom."

In the gender-neutral language adopted by the state of California in the wake of its approval of same-sex marriages, "bride" and "groom" have been replaced by the unspecific "party" designations in marriage licenses. But Rachel Bird and Gideon Codding of Sacramento, Calif., say they're old-fashioned, The Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday.

"We are traditionalists -- we just want to be called bride and groom," Bird, 25, told the Bee. "Those words have been used for generations and now they just changed them."

Because Bird and Codding have refused to complete the new forms, their marriage is not registered with the state and Bird is unable to sign up for Codding's medical benefits or legally take his name.

She told the newspaper they are "exploring their options."