Post-Election Advice for Same-Sex Parents

Wondering what you need to do to protect your family once Donald Trump becomes president? Here’s what two LGBTQ legal organizations are saying.

GLAD, in a FAQ on “How Might the Incoming Presidential Administration Impact the LGBTQ Community?” asks and answers:

Q: Will my rights and status as a parent be impacted? Will my ability to do a second-parent adoption be impacted?

A: No. By and large, issues of parental status and adoption are matters of state law and are not impacted by changes in Presidential administrations.

And Lambda Legal says, in its “Post-Election FAQ“:

If you are a same-sex couple raising children, it’s important that both parents have secure legal ties to your children. If you have not done a second-parent adoption or a joint adoption, that may be an important step to take now if it’s possible in your state. A formal adoption judgment from a court can give important security — even if both parents’ names are already on each child’s birth certificate — because court judgments must be respected state-to-state and by the federal government. If you are not married, and if your state does not permit a formal adoption judgment for unmarried parents, we suggest you seek a parentage order in states where that is possible. Other suggestions include making sure that each child’s Social Security number record lists both parents as the child’s legal parents, and obtaining a passport for each child that lists both parents as the child’s legal parents.

That was good advice before the election, and it still seems like good advice now. Go read the rest of the FAQs from Lambda and GLAD at the links above for answers to questions that aren’t specific to parenting, but nevertheless may impact your family. Additionally, this piece by Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, explains why marriage equality is probably not going away.

Nothing is certain at this point, of course, but it’s good to know we can turn to any of the above organizations (who each have legal hotlines) as things unfold.