Parents & Kids

As the "gayby" boom rolls merrily along, more and more gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender parents are looking at the law, trying to understand how they can best protect their children and safeguard their rights as parents. Without the security of a solid legal relationship, we often live in fear that our connections to our children may not be acknowledged at the hospital, the airport security checkpoint, or in the courtroom. We deserve to be able to love our children without worrying that our parental relationship may not be respected in a time of crisis.

Thankfully, New England has been fertile territory for GLAD's family law work. LGBT individuals may adopt children in any New England state, and firmly-established law allows same-sex couples to adopt children jointly in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut. In Maine, a same-sex partner can enjoy full co-guardianship of her partner's child. And a number of state courts have made it possible for a non-biological parent to pursue custody and visitation as a "de facto" parent, protecting the irreplaceable relationship between parent and child. In most situations, however, GLAD strongly feels that adoption is the best and safest way for a non-biological parent to protect his or her relationship with a child. GLAD's advocacy is directly responsible for the majority of these protections.

Even so, state law in these critical matters remains uneven. In many situations it is simply not possible to achieve necessary legal protections within the framework of existing law, and available protections are often costly and require considerable time and energy-resources that parents always find in short supply.

We must continue to strengthen LGBT families and make certain they are legally secure. Our communities will be stronger and healthier when LGBT parents are fully recognized under the law, all parents can provide security for their families and the law puts children's needs first.