AB 1951, a bill that would allow a child's birth certificate to reflect same-sex parentage, is making its way through the California assembly after passing with a preliminary 50-8 vote. Sponsored by Equality California and written by Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, the bill now awaits approval from California Governor Jerry (D.)
Currently birth certificates issued in California only allow for a child's parents to be identified as mother and father. In the past, parents were only given the option to leave father blank in the event, for example, a child were born to two mothers. In addition to allowing for same sex couples to be listed as the legal parents of a child, AB 1951 also allows for a third, non-gendered identification “parent.”
"Every child deserves a parent or parents who love them, and AB 1951 will ensure an accurate representation of the child's family.” said Equality California's executive director-elect Rick Zbur in a press release. "Birth certificates reflect real rights and responsibilities, and it's important to have them reflect the progression of what defines family."
More than a semantical issue, AB 1951 seeks to address the needs of California's growing population of over 15,000 same-sex parents. Inaccuracies on birth certificates, even those resulting from the lack of proper identification boxes being provided, can cause significant problems for parents seeking to gain access to necessary identity governmental records, or enrolling a child in school.
Read AB 1951's full text, AFTER THE JUMP…
