Personal Stories Nina at Queercents discusses the various factors she and her spouse are weighing as they consider whether to have a second child. Schools and Education A federal judge ruled that the Gay-Straight Alliance at Florida’s Yulee High School can meet on campus, with the same privileges as other student groups, and does not […]
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
A compilation of what other people have been saying about LGBT families: Personal stories: CNN.com has a must-read article on the perspective of children growing up with gay parents. Thanks to Abigail Garner, one of their interviewees, for the tip. (And if you haven’t read her book, Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell
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,
As many of you know, most LGBT legal experts recommend that every non-bio mom do a second-parent adoption even if she lives in a state that will put her name on the birth certificate of a child born to her partner. (Briefly: adoptions must be recognized by other states; the non-bio mom’s right to be
Lawyer Nancy Polikoff informs us of both good news and bad news this week: First, the bad news: The Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal just ruled that lesbian mom Kimberlee Black is not entitled to joint custody of a child she co-raised for six years. Full custody will go to the child’s biological mother,
Why is the Iowa marriage decision good not only for same-sex couples, but also for our children? Lawyer Nancy Polikoff dissects the ruling with her usual perspicacity. She writes, “The Iowa court . . . methodically considered and rejected every conceivable relationship between denying marriage to same-sex couples and the best interests of children. In
(Originally published in Bay Windows (PDF link), July 24, 2008) For many same-sex couples, one of the primary motivations for getting married is to gain legal protections for our children. Nancy Polikoff, professor of law at American University Washington College of Law, cautions us, however, that we should not tie parenthood and marriage too tightly.
Why is an ultra-right legal group supporting the custody suit of a lesbian mom? Nancy Polikoff, author of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families under the Law asks the question in a fascinating post today at Beacon Broadside. As Polikoff tells it, a Virginia appeals court last week rejected a visitation request by
First, let’s revisit some good news about parental rights: Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) is the New England LGBT legal organization best known for its leading role in achieving marriage equality for same-sex couples in Massachusetts. Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project Director for GLAD, was also lead counsel in Goodridge v. Dept. of
