LGBTQ Parenting Roundup: International Edition
Even as the year winds down, there’s still plenty of news about LGBTQ parents and our families. Here’s a roundup of some recent stories from around the world that I haven’t yet covered.
new zealand
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Here are a few items I haven’t mentioned elsewhere, including a blended family profile, the perspective of the teen daughter of plaintiffs in a marriage equality lawsuit, two happenings in New Zealand, and the Argentinian president honoring a lesbian couple at their child’s Roman Catholic baptism.
New Zealand Moms First to Wed at 30,000 Feet
New Zealand welcomed marriage equality this week, and moms Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau were among the first to wed. They did so in style — at 30,000 feet on a special Air New Zealand flight, after winning a contest held by the airline. Watch a video of their wedding, along with the charming video of their kids that won them the contest in the first place.
Good News Friday
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!
Lesbian Albatrosses Welcome Chick
The two female albatrosses in New Zealand who have been incubating an egg together are now the proud parents of a little chick. The Times Online reports: For the next six months the new parents will take turns to alternately guard and feed the chick, with one protecting it from predators while the other goes
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Politics and Law Two big wins this past week: Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to adopt each other’s children. Uruguay’s lower house of Congress approved a bill to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. The Senate must vote before September 15, and is also expected to approve. Uruguay approved
Weekly Political Roundup
(There’s been a lot of parenting-related news this week, which I’m putting into a roundup for Monday. Stay tuned. Below is more general news.) The death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) this week touched people of all orientations and identities. For many in the LGBT community, his death meant the loss of a long-time advocate
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Politics and Law The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled to preserve an adoption by the state’s only openly gay or lesbian legislator. Sen. Julia Boseman’s (D-New Hanover) former partner, Melissa Jarrell, the biological mother, was trying to deny Boseman’s parental rights, although a separate court had earlier approved the couple’s request for Boseman’s second-parent
LGBT Parenting Roundup
LGBT parenting news from here and there: The Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of a lower court ruling that upheld the joint parenting agreement between two former partners. One partner has tried to use the state ban on same-sex marriage and “marriage substitutes” to void the agreement and deny the other woman
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Some happenings in the world of LGBT parenting: A Swedish lesbian couple is seeking 50,000 kronor ($7,700) in compensation from the Västerbotten County Council. The ombudsman against discrimination due to sexual orientation (HomO), arguing for the couple, says that in order to receive county-financed assisted insemination, a couple must be diagnosed with a medical problem.