Protecting Archives - Page 8 of 18

A Day of Wins: Equality Act Passes House; Taiwan Approves Same-Sex Marriage (but Not Full Adoption Rights)

May 17, 2019

Not only does today mark the 15th anniversary of the landmark decision that first brought marriage equality to a U.S. state, and the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, but it will now also be known as the day a comprehensive, federal LGBTQ civil rights bill first passed a chamber of the U.S. Congress and the day that Taiwan legalized marriage for same-sex couples—the first country in Asia to do so. Progress to celebrate—but there is further to go, as the Equality Act faces a tougher battle in the Senate, and same-sex couples in Taiwan still will not have equal adoption rights.

Rhode Island Parents Testify for Bills to Recognize and Protect All Families

March 25, 2019

Many queer parents and allies turned out at a Rhode Island House hearing last week to testify in support of two bills that would make it easier for parents of any gender, married or not, to establish legal parentage of a child born through assisted reproduction and to streamline the process ofÂ second-parent adoptions.

More on the New Parentage Forms for Same-Sex Couples

December 21, 2018

There’s been more coverage on both coasts of the new free forms that some states have just approved, giving same-sex parents, even when unmarried, legal rights to a child born to one of them, with the force of a court order. Read or watch below!

Kentucky Court Rules Against Nonbio Mom; Threatens Same-Sex Unmarried Parents

December 19, 2018

An appeals court in Kentucky has ruled against a nonbiological mother seeking joint custody and visitation of the child she was raising with her former partner, even though a lower court had found both women to have equal parental rights. The women were unmarried—and the case raises troubling concerns for unmarried same-sex parents.

A Simpler Path to Legal Parenthood, but Not Yet for All

November 26, 2018

A simple, free form that gives both parents, regardless of gender, legal parentage of a child born to one of them, with the force of a court decree? Such a thing exists in a small but growing number of states, as the Associated Press recently reported. That’s terrific progress—but there’s still a long way to go before it’s a widespread option for securing parentage.

Hawaii Supreme Court Affirms Nonbiological Mother is a Parent

October 8, 2018

Could you use some good news today out of our courts? I sure could. The Supreme Court of Hawaii on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that said a nonbiological mother is a parent to the child she and her former spouse had through assisted reproduction.

California Enacts Law to Ensure Equal Rights for LGBTQ Parents and Their Children

October 1, 2018

California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed legislation Friday that updates state laws so they offer the same protections to all parents and their children, including same-sex and transgender parents. Read on for details—and importantly, what this means for second-parent adoptions.Â

Vermont Adds New Legal Protections for All Children and Parents

May 24, 2018

Vermont this week took a big step forward in protecting the relationships of all children with their parents, by enacting a new parentage law that is gender neutral and marital-status neutral, and clarifying the recognition of both biological and nonbiological relationships. What does this mean for second-parent adoptions, though?

As Reproductive Technology Advances, Let’s Remember Parenthood Isn’t Just Biology

January 2, 2018

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have made an advance that could someday lead to same-sex couples being able to use both parents’ DNA to create their children. Cool—but let’s make sure not to use this as a reason to prioritize biological parents over nonbiological ones.

Hawaii Same-Sex Parent Case Shows Mom Behaving Badly

December 15, 2017

I’m not sure what angers me more: the many child custody cases in which a biological mom tries to stop a nonbiological mom from seeing their children after a divorce or separation—or a case in which a nonbiological mom claims she’s not a mom so she doesn’t have to pay child support.