Just read the linked story over on BioNews about an Australian court case where a lesbian couple after petitioning the court was able to remove the name of their [known] donor's name from the birth certificate of their child. I am not sure how I feel about this.
Here in NYS as I have stated numerous times I am recognized on the birth certs of my children as their natural parent. I can empathize with this couple wanting their names on the certificate but somethig here just bothers me as the child has an ongoing relationship with the donor.
Read the article and then come back here and let me know what you think.
A birth certificate is a document that records an event in history. It should accurately record that history. Since birth and biology are synonymous for most people, information that can be found for most on their birth certificates, both birth, biology, and legal parentage should appear on the birth certificates of those with adoptive, donor, and/or surrogate parents as a matter of fairness and equality for the person being born/parented. I believe New Zealand does this already.
ReplyDeleteToo often who gets to be on a birth certificate and who gets left off seems more like an attempt to validate the adults, rather than making sure a child has every ability to know and access information about all of the parents in his or her life. I do admire that the donor is in this child's life, however.
JMHO :-)
I'm with you....not sure why but it's bothering me a bit too. We're also in NY.
ReplyDelete...'the case highlights the inadequacy of laws dealing with multi-parent families'...
ReplyDeleteThis.
I hope the appropriate people are getting onto that.
Bea