Lesbian couple sign joint birth certificate

[onebatmother]

Proud moment for anyone interested in these kind of milestones.

This is great. I have lesbian friends who are going through the adoption process. One is the birth mum and is on the cert, the other is being approved for adoption but still has to go through an outdated system that can't recognise the parental role she has playing from conception. Other lesbian friends hoping for kids too so a good step today.

Good friends of mine have just become the first same sex couple to register a birth in this county. Registrar sent them home at first as they didn't know what they were doing, had to come back a week later when they'd sorted out the proper procedure.

So are non-biological dads named on birth certificates then? And if so, what do the circumstances have to be? If a couple are married is it automatically presumed the husband is the father, and therefore allowed on the birth certificate?

Lynette, if a couple are married, either parent can go and register the birth, naming them both as the parents (regardless of whether the husband is in fact the father).

However, if a couple are not married, either both parents can go and register the birth and sign the register, or the parent who is not there has to complete a statutory form which is then given to the registrar (or if they have a Parental Responsibility order that would also do). Therefore, a non-biological dad could be named on the birth certificate but only with his knowledge and permission (though he might not know he's not the biological dad any more than a husband would ).

I honestly believe people that are biological parents should be allowed on the birth certificate. I do think same sex couples should have rights the same as mixed couples but as there is no possibility of both being the biological parent being same sex then it's just not right.

My DH when DP could not register the births.

I think a birth certificate should be a record of the child's birth parents, non biological parents should not be included that's what adoption is for. I hope I don't sound as if I think same sex couples should have less rights, as I think the same for straight non bio parents.

What use is this legislation? Because if, by being on a brith cert, it was a declaration of responsibility then that would be something. But I'm guessing an absent non bio father has no rights over the child anyway, and no financial responsibility anyway.

So what constitutes a biological parent? The carrier or the egg donor? Genetics?

This doesnt directly affect me but I am pleased that it is another step in the right direction for recognising same sex relationships.

Now it is time to shake up the out dated need for the adoption process that others have mentioned.

I agree with Posie. Birth Certificate = biological parents. Why does that have to be changed to make some people feel better?

I think that is a good thing. I believe that a birth certificate should show the childs parents, not their biological parents! There can be a record of that elsewhere! Otherwise a child could end up with a birth certificate with 2 strangers on (egg donation and sperm donation) and surely that is not a true representation of who the child is?

Perhaps I am missing the point, I am delighted that parents are not given different rights based upon sexual orientation BUT surely it should be about biology?

Sorry Lenin, I am rather blinkered and I am delighted that another form of prejudice has been lifted, but what good is it? Say the non bio parent pisses off, what good is the birth cert?

good point lil
The birth certificate in my opinion should record the people who are excited about the child coming into the world and plan to look after it

Well, I don't know....I am happy to go round in circles.

So what is a parent? A biological parent? If an egg is donated who is the biological mother?

I know someone who had trouble conceiving and so asked a friend to help out, the 'father' then ran off and claimed the children (from the sperm donor) were the product of his wife having an affair.

pp that's awful