CONNECTICUT, USA — The Connecticut State Senate passed a bill that would extend protections to children regardless of their birth or their parent's marital status, gender, or sexual orientation Thursday night.
The bill would make sure all children in the Nutmeg State have access to legal parentage including those whose parents are unmarried, same-gender, or non-biological.
"This is a historic and long-overdue moment for Connecticut - finally all children will be given equal protection under the law, and all parents will be recognized when their child is born,” said Sen. Alex Kasser, (CT-36). “This bill confirms that there is no place for discrimination in Connecticut. I'm honored to have played a small part in this landmark victory."
The bill would extend to same-gender couples access to the Acknowledgment of Parentage process, which is a simple form that allows a parent to establish a legal parent-child relationship at birth without the courts becoming involved.
Children who were conceived through surrogate or assisted reproduction would also be protected.
Connecticut is the only state in New England without protections or paths to parentage for non-biological parents to establish a legal relationship with their children, according to the Yale Law School Clinic.
In simple terms, the state's LGBTQ+ parents and their children's legal relationship is vulnerable.
“With this vote, the Senate has recognized that every child in Connecticut deserves the security of a legal relationship to their parents and that the full diversity of Connecticut families should be protected and celebrated,” said Polly Crozier, a senior staff attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). “We’re grateful to the leadership of Senator Kasser and Senator Winfield, to lead sponsor Rep. Currey and all of our sponsors and supporters in both the Senate and House, and to every Senator who voted today to protect children. We are hopeful that Governor Lamont will act quickly to sign this critical bill into law.”
The bill now moves to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk for his signature.
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