Psychology professor Nancy L. Segal tells the story of Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks, their twin sons, and the years-long fight to gain equal U.S. citizenship for both sons. (Learn more about this struggle in my post here.)
Segal, who specializes in research about twins, explores each man’s upbringing and their life together, based on interviews with the men, their sons, and their relatives and friends. We learn of their path to parenthood, what it was like for them to raise twins, and the legal tangle that threatened to tear their family apart. There are parts that feel a little dry, perhaps reflecting Segal’s academic background, but this is a thorough and positive look at their story and a reminder of why the law needs to treat all families with equality. They were not the only family harmed by the State Department policy, but as parents of twins, their situation brought the inequities into sharp relief. We would do well not to forget it.
While we can hope no other families encounter the obstacles and fears that the Dvash-Banks did, the patchwork of parentage laws in the U.S. continues to put children of LGBTQ parents at risk by often leaving them without secure legal ties to one or more of their parents. As Andrew told Segal, “I think it’s important to tell our story for other families that might find themselves in a similar situation, and for our children’s sake, as well.”
