Let’s take a look at some news about LGBTQ parents and our children around the world, including ones in Canada, Australia, Chile, and Mexico.
- In Ontario, Canada, a bill was introduced that would give nonbiological parents the same rights as biological parents, without the need for a court order. Even though same-sex parents in Ontario may both have their names on their children’s birth certificates, some couples have found that this wasn’t enough to guarantee them both rights in the event of a break up. The bill would also:
- Recognize the intended parents of a child born to surrogate without a court order, if there is proper paperwork beforehand;
- Recognize up to four people (one of whom must be a birth parent) as parents to a child;
- Clarify the role of sperm and egg donors so that they cannot later claim to be parents;
- Allow a child conceived after a parent’s death (via stored genetic material) to seek support from that parent’s estate, if the child is born within three years of the death.
- A two-mom couple in Victoria, Australia, is fighting to both be named “Mother” on their child’s birth certificate. Currently, one is “Mother” and the other is “Parent.” They claim the wording sends the message that a child can have only one “real” mother.
- Also in Australia, Rainbow Families NSW and Rainbow Families Victoria participated in a national Roundtable on marriage equality, continuing their push to stop a national referendum (plebiscite) on the matter.
- NBC News profiles a two-mom family in Chile that has been fighting for recognition of both parents in same-sex couples. After losing at the Supreme Court, they formed an advocacy group that has helped introduce legislation into the Senate.
- As I previously posted, too, the Mexican Supreme Court has ruled that adoption should be in the best interests of the children, regardless of the sexual orientation or relationship status of the prospective parent(s).
- In entertainment news, British singer Adele invited two New York dads and their baby on to the stage at her concert in Canada. (Don’t worry; from the photo it seems the baby was wearing headphones to protect him from excess concert noise.)