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Consider two stories:
Kim and Nancy have been partners for 24 years. They share a home and they share their life. Kim's parents don't approve of their "lifestyle choices", but they get along reasonably well as long as they don't talk about it. One day, Kim and Nancy are in their backyard making home repairs when Kim suddenly falls from the ladder. An ambulance takes her to the hospital. Nancy is not allowed into the emergency room. She waits 7 hours while Kim is in surgery. No one comes to tell her if her partner is okay. She finds out from a sympathetic brother that Kim had died 4 hours earlier. No one bothered to tell her. She wasn't family.
Steven and Ted met in Amsterdam. They celebrated their 7th anniversary last week. Ted donated sperm and asked a close female friend to act as a surrogate. She gave birth to Steven and Ted's son, Gabriel, who will turn two next month. Ted recently had a falling out with the female friend, and she petitioned the court for custody of Gabriel. As Ted is a "single" male and the female friend is a married woman, the court determines that her household is more stable, and awards her full custody. Steven had no standing to challenge the ruling, and had no rights in the matter. He was not considered to be one of Gabriel's parents.
Family Fairness is about making sure that situations like these do not happen. Too often gay and lesbian families are denied equal rights simply because their relationship is not valid or recognized. Even as states begin to offer marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships, same-sex families face difficulties from homophobic hospitals, schools, and courts, and leave themselves vulnerable if they ever move or vacation out of their home states.
All families deserve to be treated equally and with dignity. And as we fight for total equality and a better future for our sons and daughters, Family Fairness remains committed to giving comfort to those facing discrimination now.
For more information about how to legally protect yourself and your family, visit your state's page [coming soon!] You can also find a low- or no- cost attorney in your area who can help you obtain valuable family rights, regardless of the laws of your state [coming soon!] To keep up with the ongoing struggle for equality and for guidance in strengthening your same-sex family, read our daily news and advice blog [coming soon!]
Total equality is in the horizon. Family Fairness is about getting it now.