Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned abortion rights a year ago, I spoke with two leading LGBTQ family law experts about how LGBTQ families can protect themselves from the ruling’s impact. It’s still relevant, so I’m reposting it along with some new resources and information.
Rhode Island has enacted a law to establish a streamlined confirmatory adoption process, making it easier for LGBTQ parents to create secure legal ties to their children born through assisted reproduction.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and Mombian have partnered to create “LGBTQ Paths to Parentage Security,” a resource for LGBTQ parents and others that answers frequently asked questions about how LGBTQ+ parents can ensure their child-parent relationships will be secure and recognized in every state.
“Love makes a family,” the saying goes—but for a host of rights and protections, legal ties between parents and children are what matter. For many LGBTQ parents, however, paths to obtaining or securing these parentage ties are unclear, expensive, humiliating, and lengthy, leaving their children vulnerable, as a new report describes.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has told the city of Milan not to recognize or allow birth certificates showing two mothers or two fathers.
Rhode Island legislators yesterday heard testimony in support of a bill that would streamline the process of confirmatory adoptions, ensuring that more LGBTQ families have access to this unfortunately necessary tool for protecting our legal ties to our children.
Massachusetts, which led the nation in marriage equality, has fallen behind in updating its parentage laws to protect the children of LGBTQ parents and others regardless of the circumstances of their birth. A bill has just been reintroduced to change that. Here’s how you can help it succeed.
The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) has passed the U.S. House and now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature. The RMA is important legislation that clarifies rights and protections for same-sex and interracial marriages—but does not guarantee that all states will continue to let same-sex couples marry. It also does not remove the need for many LGBTQ parents to take additional steps to secure their legal parentage.
The Massachusetts Parentage Act (MPA), which would update state parentage laws to better protect all children, including those with LGBTQ parents, did not make it through the legislative process before the session ended July 31. Advocates say they will continue fighting for it in the next session.
How can LGBTQ families best protect themselves after the Dobbs decision? Polly Crozier, senior staff attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), and Julie Gonen, federal policy director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), shared their thoughts with me.
