One of the most common questions I see from LGBTQ parents is whether and how nonbiological/nongestational parents should do a co-parent (second-parent) adoption, especially if they’re married and on their children’s birth certificates. Here are some things to know and resources to get you started, for both married and unmarried couples.
Marriage equality has been the law nationwide since 2015, but married and unmarried LGBTQ couples who use third-party assisted reproductive technologies (ART) still face significant obstacles in most states to securing ironclad legal parentage for both parents. Progress in a few states, most recently in New England, may point the way forward.
New Hampshire has become the second state within the past week that has updated its parentage laws to better protect all children and families, including those formed through assisted reproduction.
The Rhode Island Legislature this afternoon passed a bill that updates the state’s parentage laws to provide stronger, more equitable protections for families formed via assisted reproduction.
Yes, even in Massachusetts, which led the nation in marriage equality, married same-sex couples who use assisted reproduction still need to do lengthy, expensive, and intrusive second-parent adoptions in order for their children to have ironclad legal ties to both parents. A new bill would greatly simplify the process. Bills in New Hampshire and Rhode Island would also streamline the recognition of nonbiological parents—but they all need your support.
If, like me, you’re planning for a big family gathering this week, here are some stories for when you need a break from cooking or while you’re sprawled on your sofa after the meal—including a bunch of podcast episodes by and about LGBTQ parents (and not really about turkey basters, despite what some might think)!
It’s been a disappointing few days for legislation that would have helped LGBTQ families, as bills that would have more effectively protected families formed through assisted reproduction failed in both New York and Rhode Island.
Many queer parents and allies turned out at a Rhode Island House hearing last week to testify in support of two bills that would make it easier for parents of any gender, married or not, to establish legal parentage of a child born through assisted reproduction and to streamline the process of second-parent adoptions.
A simple, free form that gives both parents, regardless of gender, legal parentage of a child born to one of them, with the force of a court decree? Such a thing exists in a small but growing number of states, as the Associated Press recently reported. That’s terrific progress—but there’s still a long way to go before it’s a widespread option for securing parentage.
California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed legislation Friday that updates state laws so they offer the same protections to all parents and their children, including same-sex and transgender parents. Read on for details—and importantly, what this means for second-parent adoptions.Â
