Iowa Supreme Court Unanimously Declares Both Lesbian Moms To Be Listed on Birth Certificate

[William769]

The Iowa Supreme Court today ruled in favor of a married lesbian couple who sued the state Department of Public Health after officials refused to list both women as the biological parents on their daughter's birth certificate in 2009.

Heather and Melissa Gartner, of Des Moines, married after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized marriage equality in 2009, but when their daughter was born later that year, DPH officials listed only Heather on the infant's birth certificate, according to the Associated Press. The "father" line was left blank, and officials told the couple they would need to go through a second-parent adoption in order for both women to be listed on their daughter's birth certificate.

The lawsuit filed by the Gartners and Lambda Legal argued that DHS deprived the child of the protections and benefits of having two legal parents present from birth, reports AP.

The court issued its ruling Friday, in a decision backed by all six justices who considered the case. Justice David Wiggins said the state was unable to come up with a "constitutionally adequate justification" for treating lesbian parents differently that heterosexual parents.

http://www.shewired.com/soapbox/2013/05/03/iowa-supreme-court-unanimously-declares-both-lesbian-moms-be-listed-birth

[cui bono]

1. k n r

[Aristus]

2. Iowa ROCKS!

That's what I said to a classmate of mine in PA School who was from Iowa. They had just passed marriage equality, and I told her I was surprised that it passed in Iowa before California. She responded: "We're liberal in Iowa!"

[davidpdx]

3. I'm shocked how progressive Iowa is on this issue

Iowa is more like Washington and California. Oregon seems to have backpedaled 10 years ago and pretty much stood at a halt since than. I guess I always had the perception of Iowa being more conservative. The rumor is that there are ballot measures coming up in 2014 in Oregon which are going to need a lot of help from those in states that have already passed on gay marriage laws or that have had them upheld in courts. It will be a very tough uphill battle.