Supreme Court avoids gay parenting issue

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • May 15, 2006 - 0:00

Judges were accused of avoiding the gay issue and the chance to clarify gay parenting rights

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The Supreme Court has today refused to amend a Washington ruling which allowed a lesbian to seek access to a child she helped raise.

Judges were accused of avoiding the gay issue and the chance to clarify gay parenting rights, after a Washington state court had let Sue Ellen Carvin pursue links with the 11-year-old girl as a "de facto" parent.

Lawyers for the biological mother, Page Britain, said the refusal to comment would "pave the way for children to have an unlimited and ever-changing number of parents."

Ms Carvin's lawyer's said the best way to amend these issues is through "case by case attention."

Ms Carvin and Ms Britain had lived together for five years, they opted for artificial insemination and Ms Britian gave birth to a daughter in 1995.

However, they split up in 2001 and Ms Carvin, who insists she was an active parent, was barred from seeing the girl, after Ms Britain married the sperm donor.

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