ABSTRACT
One of the most stark contrasts between the name changers and the name retainers was the need name retainers felt to have some account for their naming decision, something which would to some extent satisfy the queries of others. It was clear other people had asked for such accounts, which name retainers had to be ready to provide. They may well have thought a great deal in advance of their marriage about this issue and known they would not change, or simply had to come up with a story at the time as questions began to be asked, but they were prepared with justifications. These justifications of feminism, a different kind of heterosexuality and ‘true love’ not based on the joining of identities, a strong sense of linear selfhood, and important links to family and experiences through the name they were born with have been explored throughout this book. This chapter is instead dedicated to exploring the reasons why accounting for the unusual act, the act going against the grain, the transgression, needed such careful accounting, and in doing so will examine the wider phenomenon of having to account for one’s transgressions in a society with rules, norms, and boundaries for thought and action.
