Robert Edwards, one of the pioneers of in vitro fertilization—the procedure to which my spouse Helen and I owe our child—has died at the age of 87. I learned of his death via a lovely eulogic article by Elizabeth Comeau, the first “test-tube baby” born in the United States (in 1981). (Louise Brown of the U.K. was the first in the world, born in 1978.)
An article for CNN yesterday ran the headline “Science led to gay families: Law should follow.” I’m the last person to argue that our families shouldn’t have equal legal rights—but the headline is overstating science’s role and inadvertently perpetuating a dangerous myth about same-sex parents. The article’s author, Debora L. Spar, is president of Barnard
I could talk about the fact that the new pope called adoption by gay parents a form of “discrimination against children.” But are we really surprised by this? I could talk about how the National Organization for Marriage insulted adoptive parents of all types (including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts) as well as same-sex parents. Again: It’s NOM. Are we surprised? But the next couple of weeks are going to be full of perturbing marriage- and parenting-related news, I’m sure, as the U.S. Supreme Court gets set to hear two marriage equality cases on March 26. I’ve chosen, therefore, to highlight some of the positive news of the week for LGBT families. Have a great weekend, all!
A new study from the U.K. found that gay and lesbian adoptive families are as successful as straight ones—another piece of “we could have told you that” research, perhaps, but nevertheless invaluable for convincing those who need further convincing about these things.
It’s a mostly international edition this time, with lots of LGBT parenting news from around the world. Go world!
One in an occasional series of Lego lesbian mom tableaus. Have a funny cryo tank story? (I know some of you do.) Leave a comment or a link to your post about it!
Germany’s highest court ruled Tuesday that same-sex partners may adopt children already adopted by their partners. Stephanie Gerlach, a lesbian mom living in Germany, who has been writing, researching and counseling in the field of lesbian and gay parenthood for over 20 years, sent me an e-mail explaining the ruling in the context of the broader situation for gay and lesbian couples in her country. She was kind enough to let me share it here.
A Florida judge has allowed three people—two lesbian moms and the man they asked to be their sperm donor—to be listed on the birth certificate of their toddler. And the Dutch justice ministry is about to commission a report examining the possibility of recognizing three parents or more for one child. For some of the parents involved, this expanded recognition is good news; for others, not. But although three-parent recognition may seem newfangled, it has been around for longer than you might think.
Personal stories, political moves, and celebrity news I haven’t covered elsewhere (or that bear repeating).
Any Day Now, the new feature film starring Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt as a gay couple in the 1970s who foster a teenager with Down Syndrome, is a refreshing reminder that LGBT families have a long history of coming together in unexpected ways, against the odds. Other recent fictional portrayals of LGBT parenting have focused on upper-middle class families, deliberately becoming parents and secure in their parental rights. Not so here.
