Gay fathers win birth certificate rights

John Thompson

Print

Gay men who use a surrogate mother to have children are entitled not to name the woman on the birth certificate, a judge in Connecticut has ruled.

At a hearing at Connecticut Superior Court last month, Judge Lloyd Cutsumpas backed the claim of Peter Griffiths and Angel Naranjo that they are the only parents of their child.

The couple entered into a contract with Kenisha Taylor last year, which saw the surrogate implanted with two embryos – a process which resulted in the birth of one child, reports Gay City Times.

State law requires the birth certificate to be provided as soon as a baby is born and specifies that the birth mother must be named.

However, Mr Griffiths and Mr Naranjo felt that they are both father and mother to the child, and that the fact should be reflected on the legal documentation.

Judge Cutsumpas agreed, explaining: "Names on a birth certificate are not necessarily just an acknowledgment of paternity but can also establish legal responsibilities to a child."

His ruling means that Ms Taylor is no longer legally regarded as one of the child's parents.

In 1999, Barrie Drewitt and Tony Barlow made history when they became the first same-sex couple in the UK to be recognized as joint-parents on their children's birth certificates.
ADNFCR-1662-ID-18703007-ADNFCR

Subscribe to the pregnancy newsletter or 4-8 year olds newsletter.

Email this | Print

Login with Facebook

Post a Comment


First Name:
City:
Email Address:
Comments:	Total Words: (400 words*)
	Enter the characters you see in the image. They are case sensitive.

Shopping

Article List

	3 reasons to ship your kids off to summer camp
	Caught your kids smoking? Here's some advice
	Helping your kids adjust to a family move
	Keeping the romance alive after baby arrives
	Three winter activities for kids to do outside
	Holiday gifts your kids can make at home
	Keeping kids healthy around the holidays
	Handling your child's first flu
	Little bundles of terror - the scariest kids in horror movies
	Three unexpected foods that are bad for your kids' teeth
	Fall 2012 TV lineup focuses on redefining the family
	Protect your kids with these fireplace safety tips
	Should your child skip a grade? Pros and cons

All section articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15