In 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court made this state proud. It tackled head-on one of the key civil rights issues of our time, ruling that the state could not constitutionally block same-sex couples from marrying.
Now there are loose ends to tie up. Iowa courts should ensure that these married couples be given the same legal benefits as their heterosexual counterparts receive. That includes the right to be automatically listed on the birth certificates of their children.
Polk County District Judge Eliza Ovrom has heard arguments in the case of Melissa and Heather Gartner of Des Moines. After the couple wed, Heather gave birth to their daughter Mackenzie. The child’s birth certificate lists only her as the mother. The Iowa Department of Public Health would not place the “name of a non-birthing lesbian spouse” on the document unless Melissa adopted the child.
The couple sued the state, arguing Iowa law specifies a child born to a married couple is considered the child of both spouses. The Gartners are married. They are parents of a baby. Officials should automatically place the names of both women on their child’s birth certificate.
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Complete article at The Gazette : http://bit.ly/tH6xcA
