DC Law Helps Lesbian Couples Become Moms

A new D.C. law is making it a lot easier for a newborn to have two mommies from birth. According to the law, which went into effect on July 18, the District of Columbia will confer “the status of legal parent on both lesbian mothers who plan a child using donor insemination,” Nancy Polikoff reports.

In the past, the birth mother’s partner would have to go through an adoption process to become a legal parent of the child; now, the second mommy just needs to fill out some paperwork to demonstrate her “written consent” of parenthood. Polikoff notes that the new law is “marital status-neutral and gender-neutral,” so it will change parenthood policy in a couple of other situations as well:

See DC Law Helps Lesbian Couples Become Moms Washington City Paper

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Gay and thinking about adopting?

If you are gay or lesbian and thinking about adopting in California, let this serve as a basic review on adoption in California. This is not an exhaustive discussion, but a beginner’s look at what one might consider when thinking about adopting a child.

In addition to single GLBT adoptions, California permits joint and second-parent adoptions.

There are three types of adoption available in California:

Independent/Open – This type of adoption is generally done without an adoption agency, rather with a lawyer and/or a physician to help locate a birth mother. The cost for an independent adoption varies, but typically runs from 10 to 20 thousand dollars.
Foster – This type of adoption process begins by the adoptive parent or parents becoming licensed as foster parents first, then getting approved by the agency as prospective adoptive parents. The foster system approach is the most affordable, usually consisting of minimal costs for licensing, home study and adoption fees.
International – When a U.S. family adopts a child from a foreign country, it is known as an “international” adoption. Prospective parents usually work with a private agency licensed for intercountry adoption. Fees for an international adoption typically range from 10 to 25 thousand dollars.

If you are considering adoption, below are some questions to consider before taking the next steps. If you and your partner are exploring the idea of adoption together, feel free to use them as discussion starters.

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Gay parents along with kids celebrate in annual parade

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for the city’s annual Gay Pride Parade, some in provocative costumes and outfits, but an increasing number of them pushing strollers.

“I feel like I’ve seen twice as many children as I saw last year,” said Joseph Bowik, who is a father to two children with his husband, David Bowik.

The Pride Family Garden, a small park cordoned off near City Hall to give parents a respite and an area for their children to play, saw more than 600 families last year, a record that appeared set to be broken during this year’s parade, organizer Meredith Fenton said.

“Probably the biggest thing we’re hearing about this year from kids is the word ‘backlash,’”‰” said Fenton, who is the program director for Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), which joined the park effort.

“With Prop. 8 passing and the Defense of Marriage Act, there’s so much talk about gay rights, but what people keep asking is, ‘How will the kids of gay parents turn out?’ Those people are all asking about us.” San Francisco and Alameda counties are home to the second- and third-most same-sex couples who are parents in California, after Los Angeles, Fenton said.

Diana Castillo, 18, moved to Oakland this summer for an internship at Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere. Raised by her birth mother and her mother’s partner, she said growing up with two moms made her grateful.

See:

Gay parents along with kids celebrate in annual parade San Jose Mercury News – Sean Maher – ‎
Video: Gay pride on the streets
Remembering Stonewall: 40 Years Later Gay Wired Gay Pride Parade Marks 40 Years After NYC Uprising WDIV

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Discovery Health Features Two Groundbreaking GLBT Profiles in TRANSGENDER M.D. and FOSTERING LOVE

(Silver Spring, Md.) — This month, Discovery Health will air two programs profiling incredible stories about members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. TRANSGENDER M.D. — premiering Thursday, February 12 at 8 PM ET/PT — follows the medical practice of Dr. Marci Bowers, the only OB/GYN in the tiny town of Trinidad, Colorado. Dr. Bowers is world-renowned for her progressive work in the field of gender reassignment and is the reason that Trinidad has become known as “the sex change capital of the world.” But Dr. Bowers has a secret — she was actually a “he.” Originally born male, Dr. Bowers formerly was known as Mark, a married father of three who came out with his desire to become a woman and underwent gender transition from 1996-1998. Today, Dr. Bowers lives happily as a woman with her partner in Trinidad. TRANSGENDER M.D. showcases Dr. Bowers’ dedicated work as she endeavors to give patients the same opportunity that she had, and the lives they have always wanted.

Premiering Wednesday, February 18 at 8 PM, FOSTERING LOVE is the story of a married same-sex couple in California with more than enough love to go around. Meet Jim and Mark, parents with an ever-growing family comprised of biological, foster and adopted children. Together for six years, Mark and Jim recently decided to move their brood from the city to the country to live and work on an alpaca farm. Amid this change, Mark and Jim are attempting to adopt Olivia, a baby girl they have fostered since birth — but complications with Olivia’s birth mother threaten to interfere with their dreams. Discovery Health’s cameras capture the joy and occasional frustration that come along with raising a family full of infants, toddlers and teenagers, while attending to a barnyard full of animals.

TRANSGENDER M.D. and FOSTERING LOVE are produced for Discovery Health by MEg TV. For Discovery Health, Lisa Lucas is executive producer and for MEg TV, Nancy Saslow is executive producer.