Yes, same-sex couples can marry in Iowa—but a state district court heard arguments last week in a case to determine whether the child born to a married lesbian couple has the right to have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate, as do children of same-sex couples legally married (and civil unioned) in other states. (Not to mention children of opposite-sex couples in every state.) I’ve covered the story in depth for Keen News Service; hope you’ll go have a read.
7 thoughts on “Iowa Court to Decide If Both Lesbian Moms Can Go on Child’s Birth Certificate”
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In some provinces in Canada (like BC), they list same sex parents on birth cert ¤ it works very well.
In every other U.S. state that lets same-sex couples marry or get civil unions, they list same-sex parents on the birth certs, too. The Iowa Dept. of Public Health is nevertheless refusing to do so.
Does anyone know if a list of states that do list it that way exists? I know AZ does not and that is why we had our daughter in CA. I am specificaly wonderying about the state of Washington.
I’m not a lawyer–so check with one–but I believe that every state that allows same-sex couples to marry, get civil unions, or broad domestic partnerships (like CA, OR, and WA) will allow both parents onto their child’s birth cert. This document on the rights of LGBT families, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, also has more information, plus the caution, “Regardless of whether a couple is recognized as legally married or in a civil union or comprehensive domestic partnership, NCLR always encourages non-biological and nonadoptive parents to get an adoption or parentage judgment.” The reason is, if you’re on your child’s birth cert because your state recognizes your relationship with the legal parent, but you go to a state where that adult relationship is not recognized, that second state may not recognize your right to be on the birth cert, either.
@ dana. NOT TRUE! I wish you were right…
RI does not. Civil unions passed this summer, birth certificate only listed one of us this fall!
It’s not just an Iowa problem.
Ah. Thanks for the information. Was it a religiously-affiliated hospital? I know the RI CUs have some exemptions for religious organizations.
Not a religious hospital (what a ridiculous exemption!). We were married in MA so aren’t technically eligible for a CU. could also be a simple situation of no one really knows how to enforce the law (or fight back when it’s not done right here?). Regardless we are pursuing (expensive) 2nd parent adoption, complete with home visits and background checks!