Three recent stories about same-sex parents trying to obtain accurate birth certificates for their children underscore the obstacles and confusion we often face in trying to protect our families.
A new law in Washington, D.C. is drawing lesbian couples from other jurisdictions to give birth there — and a bill making its way through the California legislature could simplify the paperwork and clarify parenting arrangements for same-sex couples in that state.
Great news from Idaho this morning: The state Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a person can petition to do a second-parent adoption of another’s child, even if the two adults are not married.
Right after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that the federal government must recognize marriages of same-sex couples, I warned that this was not a reason for us to stop getting second-parent adoptions. Now, a New York judge has shown she just doesn’t understand that. Moms Amalia and Melissa had their son in New York,
My 10-year-old son throws around the word “epic” on a daily basis. His newest Pokémon card? Epic. His latest zombie-defeating battle in Minecraft, his favorite online game? Epic. The word seemed in danger of losing its original clout—and then the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). That, I told him, was epic.
Let’s round it up, folks. Here’s what’s been happening while I was busy cooking and stuffing myself on turkey and pie this past week or so. (I’m Jewish; I take this whole “eight-day holiday” thing seriously.)
The ACLU has filed a new federal case in North Carolina, seeking to overturn the state’s ban on second-parent adoption. A win would mean that kids being raised by same-sex couples could have “legally protected relationships with both of the parents who are raising them.” Because the case was brought under the federal constitution, a win could have an impact on other states as well.
While you’re still yawning after staying up too late to watch the Oscars, here’s an extra-large, fully caffeinated dose of LGBT parenting news to wake you up: Court Cases Heard this one before? Lesbian moms split up. Bio mom tries to keep nonbio mom from child. Custody battle ensues. Such cases are all too frequent—I
Bits and pieces from the info-stream: Politics and Law A follow-up to my story about the change to U.S. passport applications to say “Mother or Parent 1″ and “Father or Parent 2”: Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced a new bill that would require federal agencies to use only “mother” and “father” in all official
