In a national first, a new Washington, D.C. law grants legal parenthood to both women of a couple who plan a child together using donor insemination. More specifically: When a woman bears a child conceived by artificial insemination, and her spouse or unmarried partner consents in writing to the insemination, the consenting spouse or partner
Two lesbian moms who had a child in Florida are in the midst of a custody battle with their known sperm donor. The donor, Ray Janssen, and his partner Craig were involved with the child’s life until the moms, Katherine Alicea and Ana Sobrino, moved to California. Janssen then sued them for custody. A Miami-Dade
Politics and Law First, a great ruling from the Oregon Court of Appeals via the vigilant Nancy Polikoff: “If the biological mom’s partner consents to the insemination [of her partner], she is also the parent of the resulting child.” The ruling states, in part: “There appears to be no reason for permitting heterosexual couples to
From the “fun with scientific conclusions” department: A new study in the journal Child Development has found that babies who are the result of unplanned or mistimed pregnancies “had fewer resources [including parental support and learning materials] than intended siblings” and “Parents’ emotional resources to older children decreased after the birth of a mistimed sibling.”
Having one partner who is pregnant can be tough. Two partners who are pregnant at the same time could be even more daunting (though there is always the possibility of sharing maternity wear). Erin Renzas of Cookie Magazine has taken a look at lesbian partners who have been pregnant at the same time, however. She
Politics and Law Amicus briefs are coming in to Florida’s third district court of appeal from LGBT and other civil-rights groups, in support of a circuit court decision that allowed a gay couple to adopt two brothers, effectively overturning the state’s ban on adoption by same-sex couples. Despite new legislation in Victoria, Australia, to allow
On Monday, I posted happy news of changes to the Uniform Probate Code that would allow for greater recognition of non-bio moms. Lawyer Nancy Polikoff, who was the source of the news, now lets us know of a custody case involving a non-bio mom that has me spitting nails in anger. Leslea and Michelle White,
Brett Berk, aka “The Gay Uncle,” has just written a post about sperm donation. He finds it odd, he says, that lesbian friends of his can choose the looks of their children “like a handbag,” and is wondering if anyone else finds the process odd. Leaving aside the question of how many lesbians carry handbags—as
Your weekly medley of LGBT parenting news. (No vlog this week; Helen and I have both been swamped with other work. Please come back for one next Thursday.) Personal stories: Transgender man Thomas Beatie and his wife Nancy welcomed their second child into the world Tuesday. All appear to be doing well. Single mom Judy
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that Kathryn Kutil and Cheryl Hess, a lesbian couple who have been fostering an 18-month-old girl since shortly after she was born, can maintain custody and not turn the child over to an opposite-sex couple for adoption, as ordered by a lower court. The Supreme Court ruling
