A gay couple who adopted a little boy from Louisiana have won the right to have both of their names listed on their child’s birth certificate.
Oren Adar and Mickey Ray Smith of San Diego said that previous to the federal court decision, they had faced complications with insurance companies, airport security and other bureaucracy, the Associated Press reports.
They also cited a desire to help their child understand his place in the world by having both parents officially listed on the certificate.
Smith, who was adopted himself, wrote that seeing his parents’ names on his own birth certificate "gave me a sense of belonging, a sense of identity and a sense of dignity."
Regardless of their perceived parenting skills, Louisiana law does not permit unmarried couples to adopt children and therefore refused to issue a birth certificate with both fathers listed.
U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey concluded that no trial was needed and both men should be included as parents on the form.
At least three other similar cases have also gone to court – and been decided in the parents’ favor, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund told the news provider.
