Cases & Advocacy
Tag
LGBT parents
Press Release
New Mexico Supreme Court Establishes Important Parenting Protections for Non-Biological Mothers
(San Francisco, CA, June 1, 2012)—Today, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a decision recognizing important new protections for non-biological mothers who are raising children with a same-sex partner. The Court held that a woman who raises a child with another woman and assumes parental and financial responsibility for the child can be a legal parent under New Mexico law, just as a male parent would be, regardless of whether she is a biological parent. National Center for Lesbian Rights...Press Release
Bill Clarifies a Judge’s Ability to Protect Best Interests of a Child Who Has Relationships With More Than Two Parents
(Sacramento, CA, February 24, 2012)—Senator Mark Leno today introduced legislation that reaffirms a family court judge’s ability to recognize parent-child relationships based on the evidence and what is in the best interests of the child. SB 1476 modernizes state law by giving courts the flexibility to protect children who have parent-child relationships with more than two people. A California judge recently ruled that it was in the best interests of a child to recognize that she had a...Blog
California Law Protects Our Families
There are thousands of children being raised by non-biological parents, and they deserve to be treated fairly. Yesterday, a California appeals court ruled that these families are protected under California law. A case called E.C. v. J.V. recognized the rights of a non-biological mother who had raised a child with her same-sex partner for five years. The court rightly said that what matters is the relationship that the child and the parent have with each other, even if they aren’t biologically...Press Release
NCLR Applauds California Ruling Recognizing Same-Sex Parent of Adopted Children as a Legal Parent
(San Francisco, CA, December 7, 2011)—The case was brought by a woman, known as S.Y., who raised two children with her former same-sex partner. The children were legally adopted only by S.Y.’s partner, S.B. S.Y. did not adopt the children, primarily because she was in the military and could have been discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” if the military learned about her family. The Court of Appeal, applying longstanding California law, ruled last week that S.Y. should be recognized as a...Press Release
NCLR Applauds Senate Introduction of Every Child Deserves a Family Act
Statement by NCLR Federal Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq. (San Francisco, CA, October 31, 2011)—Today, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, is expected to introduce the “Every Child Deserves a Family Act” (ECDF) in the Senate to help the nation’s 408,000 foster children find permanent and stable homes. The proposed legislation would prohibit states from excluding potential adoptive and foster parents because of their marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This is...Press Release
Legal Experts Urge Supreme Court to Address Discrimination Against Children with Unmarried Adoptive Parents
(San Francisco, August 9, 2011)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP filed an amicus brief on behalf of leading family law, constitutional law and conflict of laws professors and legal experts asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals holding that Louisiana can discriminate against children born in Louisiana and adopted by unmarried parents in other states by refusing to issue them accurate birth certificates....Press Release
Uniting American Families Act Introduced in both Chambers of Congress
Statement by NCLR Federal Policy Attorney Maya Rupert (Washington D.C., April 14, 2011)—Today, Congress members in both the upper and lower chambers introduced the Uniting American Families Act of 2011, which would grant United States citizens and lawful permanent residents the right to sponsor their same-sex permanent partners to immigrate into the country. Representative Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., introduced the bill in the House, where it has more than 90 co-sponsors. Senator Patrick Leahy,...Press Release