Max Mutchnick, creator of Will & Grace, shares his story of trying to get through airport security with his (male) spouse and their two girls.
It’s hilarious, as one might expect from Mutchnick, but the real kicker is at the end. A lesson for us all.
We had a by-the-book agent at check-in once who, even when provided our son’s birth certificate with both of our names and the adoption papers, insisted she needed a letter from the father, continued to insist even after I pointed out the “unknown donor” bit in the adoption papers. Luckily her supervisor just glanced at the papers and gave us our boarding passes.
Oy. That reminds me, though: I’m not a lawyer, but every LGBT family lawyer I’ve spoken with says that birth certificates alone may not be enough in jurisdictions (like the federal government) that don’t recognize the relationship between the two parents. Just like you did, same-sex parents should carry adoption papers and/or court orders if you have them.
This account was somewhat humorous, but it highlights the reason why I am extremely selective about our vacation venues. There are certain places that I just won’t risk going – including many places in the U.S. There are places that I won’t go with my partner and kids that I would not have hesitated to go to when I was single (and therefore less visible and less likely to be hassled).