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In friend-of-the-court brief, GLAD urged the Court to affirm the state’s nondiscrimination laws, including for LGBTQ people

Today the Connecticut Supreme Court issued its ruling in Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities v. Edge Fitness et al., finding that Edge Fitness violated Connecticut’s nondiscrimination statute by maintaining a separate workout area for women.

The Court found, as GLAD argued in its friend-of-the-court brief, that the creation of a judge-made exception to the state nondiscrimination law would create a substantial risk that protected groups would be harmed.

As the Court explained, authorizing exceptions would permit women and transgender people to be excluded based on “the privacy interests of men or the ‘moral comfort’ of customers,” which “defeats the purpose of our state’s antidiscrimination legislation.”

“Connecticut has long been a leader on full and fair inclusion of LGBTQ people in all areas of life,” said Jennifer Levi, GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project Director. “Today’s ruling re-affirms that commitment, and ensures the state’s nondiscrimination law continues to work as intended for all those it was enacted to protect.”

GLAD’s brief was submitted by attorneys Bennett Klein, Jennifer Levi, and Gary Buseck and Kenneth Bartschi of Horton, Dowd, Bartschi & Levesque, P.C. of Hartford. The brief was also joined by Lambda Legal and Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition.

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Today the first LGBTQ+ parents in Connecticut signed Acknowledgments of Parentage to secure equal legal protections for their children and families. Federal law requires states to provide a simple civil process for acknowledging parentage upon the birth of a child, the Acknowledgment of Parentage program. Properly executed, an Acknowledgment of Parentage has the binding force of a court order and should be treated as valid recognition of parentage in all states. Until the Connecticut Parentage Act went into effect this month, same-gender parents in the state were not eligible to sign Acknowledgments to secure their parentage, putting a lengthy and costly burden on LGBTQ+ parents and leaving many children vulnerable.

Stephanie and Denise Ocasio-Gonzalez, parents of a 2-year-old and a 14-year-old, and Emily Pagano and Rachel Prehodka-Spindel, parents of 7.5-month-old twins and a 3-year-old, advocated as part of the We Care Coalition to pass the landmark Connecticut Parentage Act last year and spoke out about the harms the state’s outdated and unequal parentage laws caused their children. Both sets of parents signed Acknowledgments of Parentage this morning at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Emily Pagano and Rachel Prehodka-Spindel signed Acknowledgments securing parentage for all three of their children.

“Signing the Acknowledgments of Parentage today, knowing our three children are now fully protected and we will both finally be recognized as their legal parents is a tremendous relief,” said Emily Pagano. “As unmarried parents, we’ve faced frustrating and sometimes scary hurdles just trying to take care of our kids. Rachel wasn’t allowed to be a voting member of the Parents Committee at our 3-year-old Dylan’s public pre-school because she wasn’t seen as a legal parent. And when our entire family came down with COVID recently Rachel wasn’t permitted to act as Dylan’s medical proxy, delaying our ability to get our child’s test results. We are so grateful that we won’t have to fight these types of battles anymore, and neither will other Connecticut families. We’re proud of our work advocating for the Connecticut Parentage Act as part of the We Care Coalition and are thrilled to be part of this historic day.”

Stephanie and Denise Ocasio-Gonzalez were able to sign an Acknowledgment of Parentage today securing Denise’s parentage of their 2-year-old daughter, who was born to Stephanie during the couple’s marriage.

“As a married couple, we are grateful to have access to this acknowledgment of parentage to secure our child wherever we travel,” said Stephanie Ocasio-Gonzalez. “LGBTQ+ parents still experience discrimination in other jurisdictions, and having access in Connecticut to a simple form that operates as the equivalent of a court decree gives us the protection and security we’ve been waiting for.”

Denise has been the second parent to the couple’s 14-year-old son since he was 3 years old. Once the de facto parent provisions of the Connecticut Parentage Act go into effect on July 1 they will be able to secure Denise’s legal parentage of their son as well.

“Although we will have to wait another six months to protect our older child through the de facto parent provisions, we are thrilled to be so much closer to having full security for our entire family,” added Stephanie. “It has been empowering to play a role in educating people about the barriers families like ours have faced, and in making Connecticut a place where all families are recognized and protected.”

Legal parentage protects children by ensuring parents have clear responsibilities and rights like providing health insurance, decision-making for medical care or education, providing for basic needs, or payment of child support and parenting time in the event of separation. The Connecticut Parentage Act, which was signed by Governor Lamont in May 2021 and went into effect January 1, 2022, ensures equal access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-gender, or nonbiological parents.

In addition to granting LGBTQ+ parents access to the simple administrative Acknowledgment of Parentage form, which can be filled out in the hospital before or after birth or at a Department of Social Services Office for an older child, the CPA also extends accessible paths to parentage for children born through assisted reproduction and strengthens protections for children born through surrogacy.

“Connecticut has been a national leader in the fight to expand and protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people,” said Representative Jeff Currey, lead sponsor of the Connecticut Parentage Act. “With equal access to the Acknowledgment of Parentage program Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ families can now be protected here at home and wherever they travel. I’m proud to see our state take this historic step today to ensure that all children, and all families, are equally protected by our laws.”

“The Connecticut Parentage Act is one of the most child-centered, inclusive, and comprehensive parentage laws in the country,” said Douglas NeJaime, Yale Law Professor and principal drafter of the CPA. “With this law in effect, Connecticut families will now be treated equally, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or marital status, and LGBTQ+ parents and their children across the state will be more secure.”

The Connecticut Parentage Act is based on the model Uniform Parentage Act of 2017. In addition to Connecticut, California, Maine, Rhode Island, Washington, and Vermont have recently updated their parentage laws to incorporate recommendations in the UPA. A similar bill, the Massachusetts Parentage Act, is currently pending in Massachusetts.

“A secure legal parent-child relationship is core to a child’s long-term stability and well-being, and as of today all Connecticut children have access to that security regardless of the gender or marital status of their parents or the circumstances of their birth,” said Polly Crozier, Senior Staff Attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and a leading advocate for updated and inclusive parentage laws. “I hope other states, including neighboring Massachusetts, will soon follow Connecticut’s excellent example by updating their parentage laws to ensure all children have equal access to parentage.”

More information about the Connecticut Parentage Act can be found at www.gladlaw.org/cpa or www.law.yale.edu/cpa

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Making Change Outside of the Courts: Advancing LGBTQ+, Racial, and Economic Justice

Rep. Jeff Currey, Lisa Rosenthall, Professor Doug NeJaime, advocates Stephanie and Denise, and GLAD Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier

GLAD has long relied on the whole mix of legal, policy, and advocacy tools to build a just society free from discrimination. To advance racial, economic, and LGBTQ+ justice and ensure the greatest possible impact for our communities, GLAD engages in the courts and at policy tables, in statehouses with legislators and advocates, and in community coalitions across New England and beyond.

In 2021 we worked in partnership with others to advance bills that will make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ families, adults, and youth. Some of these policies target harms individuals face because of poverty, racial inequities, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, or discriminatory laws, while others lay the groundwork for broader changes.

Nondiscrimination Laws: Fair Access to Housing and Public Spaces

GLAD advocated this year with partners to pass The Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act, signed into law in June. Access to housing is a basic necessity and critical to a person or family’s health, stability and wellbeing. Still, too often, discrimination gets in the way of attaining a safe place to live. The Act repeals LGBTQ-only exemptions in Rhode Island law that allowed discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression for smaller housing units, which make up a large percentage of housing stock in the state.

GLAD also worked in coalition to pass An Act Relating to Health and Safety – State Building Code, which requires single-use bathrooms in places of public accommodation to be labeled “restroom“ rather than restricted by gender. Not only does this protect transgender and nonbinary people from harm when using public restrooms, but it also improves accessibility for disabled Rhode Islanders and young children with differently gendered caretakers and helps everyone by reducing wait times.

Protecting Our Families: Expansion of Parentage and Adoption Laws

Stephanie, Denise, and their kids in rainbow outfits at Pride — We Care Coalition members Stephanie and Denise, and their kids

As a complement to litigation, GLAD also seeks to pass updated, comprehensive laws to secure parent-child relationships regardless of whether the parents are married or how that child came into the world. These protections are critical to children’s well-being and address the vulnerability families face from outdated laws and financial barriers in our existing system. GLAD’s work to update parentage and other family-related laws is both an LGBTQ+ equality and a priority for access to justice.

The passage this spring of the Connecticut Parentage Act (CPA) was a victory years in the making. GLAD co-led the We Care Coalition with Yale Law School Professor Douglas NeJaime, working closely with bill sponsors Representative Jeff Currey and Senator Alex Kasser and other stakeholders on the bill’s text. Our coalition advocated by sharing the stories of impacted children and families in the Constitution state and organizing the effort to secure passage. Families and advocates celebrated what Professor NeJaime called “the most comprehensive parentage bill to pass to date,“ at a signing ceremony in Hartford on the first day of Pride Month. The CPA, which goes into effect January 1, 2022, fills gaps in Connecticut law that left children of LGBTQ, unmarried, or de facto parents vulnerable.

GLAD and our partners also successfully advocated for a critical update to the Maine Parentage Act of 2015 to expand access to the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Parentage for LGBTQ parents and others. This acknowledgment form provides a clear, fair, and simple way for parents to establish their legal connection to the child as soon as they are born and protects the family’s integrity and security. Governor Mills signed LD 222, An Act to Update the Maine Parentage Act, in June.

J Shia and her kid, wearing button downs shirts and smiling — Massachusetts parent and MPA Coalition member J. and her child

With these two successful bills and updates in Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire over the past few years, nearly every state in New England has updated laws recognizing the diversity of how the LGBTQ community forms our families. We are working hard right now to pass the Massachusetts Parentage Act this year. In partnership with Resolve New England, we are leading a coalition of over 50 partner organizations and families to pass An Act Relative to Parentage to Promote Children’s Security (S 1133/H 1714). Learn more, share your family’s story, and get involved at www.massparentage.com.

Other important pending legislation to support families includes An Act To Promote Efficiency in Co-Parent Adoption (S 1124/H 1712) which would ensure a more streamlined process for

Massachusetts co-parent adoptions by LGBTQ couples who petition to adopt their own children, and An Act to Provide Access to Fertility Care (LD 1539), which would make forming families in Maine more attainable for LGBTQ+ couples, and all couples experiencing infertility, by increasing comprehensive medical insurance coverage for fertility diagnostic issues and treatment.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: Schools, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice Systems

In June, justice-involved youth in Maine gained the right to counsel and petition for alternatives to incarceration when Governor Mills signed into law LD 320, An Act to Provide the Right to Counsel for Juveniles and Improve Due Process for Juveniles into law. GLAD worked with bill sponsor Rep. Victoria Morales, whose district includes the Long Creek juvenile facility, and advocacy partners on this 3-year effort to make necessary reforms to the juvenile justice system. The bill:

Sets a minimum age of twelve for commitment to a juvenile correctional facility and provides that younger children may be detained no more than seven days unless the parties agree
Ends the mandatory one-year minimum commitment to juvenile correctional facilities
Requires judges to consider both the age of a young person and whether the offense committed would be regarded as a misdemeanor if committed by an adult when deciding whether incarceration is appropriate
Creates opportunities for judicial reviews of commitments; and appoints lawyers for both committed and detained young people

Keeping young people with supportive families, connected to resources, and out of correctional facilities is crucial to their opportunities for accountability and development for healthy adulthood. GLAD also supported a Maine Youth Justice–led bill to begin a process to close Long Creek, Maine’s one remaining juvenile prison. While that bill did not become law this session, we applaud MYJ’s leadership on the issue. GLAD will continue to work in partnership with them and others on structural changes to our juvenile justice systems, including efforts to close Long Creek.

Also becoming law this June was An Act Regarding School Discipline for Maine’s Youngest Children, which essentially prohibits suspensions and expulsions for children in grade 5 or lower and bars the withholding of recess except for restorative justice interventions. Under the leadership of Rep. Victoria Morales and with the collaboration of Disability Rights Maine, the Maine Children’s Alliance, GLAD, and others, this revision of punitive disciplinary measures can keep children engaged in school and prevent issues of the school-to-prison pipeline, outcomes which disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities, including those who are LGBTQ+.

GLAD and partner organization OUT Maine collaborated with the Maine Department of Education on its first-ever LGBTQI+ website for the Department, launched in August. The site includes resources on student action groups, student rights, medical and mental health information, and much more, supporting and sustaining inclusive learning environments and contributing to student success at school and over a lifetime.

GLAD is co-leading a Racial and Equity Committee of the Maine Law Court’s Justice for Children Task Force to develop accurate information and support sound policy and interventions. With funding and leadership from the Maine Judicial Branch, the Task Force has commenced a multi-agency demographic data study about what data is collected in the Judicial Branch and the child welfare, education, public safety, and corrections systems, with a final report completed by November 2022.

In Massachusetts, GLAD supports Citizens for Juvenile Justice in their efforts to pass An Act Improving Juvenile Justice Data Collection (S 1558/H 1795). This bill requires collecting critical demographic data at all stages of the juvenile justice system, including age, race, ethnicity, primary language, gender identity, and sexual orientation. S 1558/H 1795 also requires an annual report overseen by the Child Advocate to ensure that the state uses resources efficiently to protect public safety and improve outcomes for youth.

Together with other LGBTQ+ and youth advocacy organizations, GLAD is also advancing structural reforms in our child welfare systems and seeking to improve conditions for youth affected by these systems.

Respect for Our Humanity: Criminal Justice Reform and Reducing Prison Brutality

Transgender people face particular levels of brutality and harassment when incarcerated. GLAD has worked to address these harms through litigation and policy in prison systems across New England and the country. This year, GLAD worked with Maine Trans Net, legislative leaders, and corrections and law enforcement to craft a bill to improve health and safety conditions for transgender people when incarcerated in jails and prisons. LD 1044, which became law this summer, explicitly requires Maine DOC to respect and acknowledge an incarcerated person’s consistently held gender identity for placement irrespective of anatomy or physique, except for significant management, security, or safety reasons. The new law also requires Maine DOC to provide the programming and commissary items consistent with a person’s gender identity.

GLAD also supported and commends our partners in successfully passing bills to decriminalize homelessness and ban face recognition surveillance in Maine (similar legislation, S 47/H 135, is pending in Massachusetts). We are supporting partners in Massachusetts seeking to ensure cost-free phone calls for incarcerated people (Mass. S 1559), stop police profiling of transgender and low-income women by removing “common nightwalkers” and “common streetwalkers” from MA law (S 992/H 1800), move toward full decriminalization of sex work (H 1867) and pass comprehensive health and safety reforms for incarcerated LGBTQI people (S 1566/H 2484). GLAD also supported a bill in Maine, now law, to provide a defense to prostitution for reasons of economic hardship, preventing injury, or threats.

Living Life: Ensuring Access to Accurate Identification

All of us need accurate ID, and for transgender and non-binary people, it is essential for their safety and security. GLAD continues to work across New England to ensure everyone can access ID that reflects who they are, without barriers.

In August, we supported Rho, a non-binary Granite Stater, in successfully advocating for the New Hampshire DMV to remove barriers in choosing an “X” gender marker on their state-issued driver’s license or ID. Now people do not have to get a medical provider to attest to their non-binary gender identity, which can be a significant barrier to updating their ID. This policy change also applies to anyone changing their gender marker to X, M, or F and means that New Hampshire joins the rest of New England, as well as other states and municipalities, in having a straightforward process for people to have accurate state ID that affirms who they are.

In Maine this session, GLAD consulted on the substance of and supported LD 209 – An Act Concerning Name Changes for Minors, which clarifies and streamlines the process by which a parent or guardian can request a name change for a minor child by filing a petition in Probate court. The law drops the requirement to publish notice of the name change, allowing for confidentiality. It sets forth factors for judicial consideration, including the minor’s expressed preference and the child’s best interest. We also worked with community partners to pass LD 855 – An Act Regarding the Issuance of a Birth Certificate Following a Gender Marker Change, to ensure that new birth certificates issued following a name or gender marker change are not marked as amended, a crucial consideration to protect privacy and safety for transgender individuals.

In Massachusetts, we are working with coalition partners to advocate for An Act Relative to Gender Identity on Massachusetts Identification (S 2282/H 3521) and An Act Providing for a Gender-Neutral Designation on State Documents and Identifications (H 3126), bills that would codify a gender-neutral (“X”) designation for all Massachusetts forms and identification documents, including birth certificates.

Racial Impact Statements

A landmark achievement in the Maine 2021 legislative session with the potential to impact the lawmaking process and across systems is the enactment of LD 2, An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process. Conceived and sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, the law provides that any legislation considered in Maine may be evaluated for its racial impact at the request of any legislator or committee. GLAD provided LGBTQ-community testimony in support of LD 2. With the guidance of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other leaders and communities of color, looks forward to supporting the use of this important and innovative tool.

Read the Fall 2021 issue of our biannual newsletter, GLAD Briefs.

Soule et al v. CT Association of Schools et al

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On October 14, 2021, GLAD filed a friend-of-the-court (amicus) brief along with the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The plaintiffs in Soule et al v. CT Association of Schools et al, three high school students – two of whom have since graduated – sought a judicial order that no transgender girls or young women may participate in school sports. This would effectively ban trans girls from school sports. GLAD’s briefs urges the court to affirm the lower court’s dismissal.

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On January 1, 2022, the Connecticut Parentage Act goes into effect. This critical update to the state’s parentage law recognizes and protects LGBTQ+ families across Connecticut.

If you missed the webinar for families and intended parents on September 23, watch the discussion below to get the information you need before the law takes effect!

Featuring:

Patience Crozier, Senior Staff Attorney, GLAD
Douglas NeJaime, Professor of Law, Yale Law School
Malina Simard-Halm, Yale Law Student and Board Member of Family Equality and COLAGE

This event was co-sponsored by GLAD and Yale Law School.

Resources:

Click here to discover more upcoming events!

Community Webinar: Connecticut Parentage Act

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On January 1, 2022, the Connecticut Parentage Act goes into effect. This critical update to the state’s parentage law recognizes and protects LGBTQ+ families across Connecticut.

Join the webinar for families and intended parents to get the information you need before the law goes into effect!

Featuring:

Patience Crozier, Senior Staff Attorney, GLAD
Douglas NeJaime, Professor of Law, Yale Law School
Malina Simard-Halm, Yale Law Student and Board Member of Family Equality and COLAGE

This event is co-sponsored by GLAD and Yale Law School.
Automatic closed captioning available.

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This year on Give OUT Day we want to say thank you to all of our supporters for showing up for us all year long. We also want to share the love by encouraging GLAD supporters to learn about groups doing important work near you.

The following list features some of our New England partners and other organizations whose innovative work we want to highlight. Our sincere gratitude– we couldn’t do this work without you.

Affirming Spaces Project

New Hampshire

Affirming Spaces Project (ASP), scheduled to launch in August 2021, will serve the trans and GNC community of NH, primarily by connecting TGNC persons with local TGNC-friendly businesses and services. ASP also plans to engage in community education and advocacy.

Donate to Affirming Spaces Project

Coyote RI

Rhode Island

Coyote, which stands for “Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics,” was originally founded in 1973 by Margo St. James, who filed and won a class-action lawsuit in 1979 to decriminalize indoor sex work in RI. Coyote, which resumed its activism in 2010 in response to Rhode Island’s full criminalization of prostitution in 2009, is a coalition of current and former sex workers that advocates for the human, health, labor, and civil rights of sex workers in RI and across the nation.

Donate to Coyote RI

Kamora’s Cultural Corner

Hartford, CT

Founded by activist Kamora Herrington, Kamora’s Cultural Corner (KCC) centers Black LGBTQ+ artists and their perspectives, intentionally creating spaces for community building, healing, and connection through Black queer art. In November 2020, KCC held a “Black Art Heals Tour” to exhibit their art throughout the Southeast.

Donate to Kamora’s Cultural Corner

Maine Inside Out

Portland, ME

Maine Inside Out (MIO), founded in 2008, holds theater programs at Long Creek Youth Development Center, Maine’s youth correctional facility. MIO continues to engage youth upon their release from Long Creek through community engagement, peer and adult support, participant-led advocacy, leadership development, and practical skill-building.

Donate to Maine Inside Out

Out in the Open

Brattleboro, VT

Out in the Open is a multi-issue social justice movement connecting rural LGBTQ people to build community, visibility, knowledge, and power. Last year, Out in the Open organized a Rural Community Care Support Network to provide mutual aid to the rural LGBTQ+ VT community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Donate to Out in the Open

Out Now

Springfield, MA

Out Now, founded in 1995, provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to learn about and explore themselves and the history of the LGBTQ+ movement while developing leadership skills. Out Now’s many programs include an Our Liberation! Theater of the Oppressed workshop.

Donate to Out Now

Sisters Unchained

Jamaica Plain, MA

Founded in 2015 by Ayana Aubourg, Meron Teklehaimanot, and Vanessa Ly, Sisters Unchained provides a safe space for the daughters of formerly and presently incarcerated mothers to heal and realize transformative social change. Sisters Unchained is a prison-abolitionist organization supporting community-based alternatives to incarceration.

Donate to Sisters Unchained

TGI Network of RI

Providence, RI

TGI Network was founded in 2011 and serves trans, intersex, and GNC (TGI) Rhode Islanders through support, advocacy, and education. TGI Network currently offers three peer-led support groups for questioning persons, TGI persons, and their loved ones.

Donate to TGI Network of RI

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A victory years in the making, the Connecticut Parentage Act (CPA) was ceremonially signed this afternoon by Governor Ned Lamont and goes into effect on January 1, 2022. This sweeping legislation fills gaps in Connecticut law that fail to protect many child-parent relationships. The CPA will update Connecticut law to ensure equal access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-gender, or nonbiological parents.

Since 2018, GLAD and Yale Law Professor Douglas NeJaime have led the effort to pass the CPA. With GLAD and Professor NeJaime’s leadership and the hard work, stalwart advocacy, and personal family stories of Connecticut families, legal experts, and community organizations, the We Care Coalition was formed. With the legislative leadership of Representative Jeff Currey and Senator Alex Kasser, we built momentum to see the CPA get passed in the House (141-1), then the Senate (unanimous), with overwhelming bipartisan votes.

childhood photo of Malina with her dads and siblings — We Care Coalition member Malina as a child with her family

This critical win expands the record of collaborating to advance comprehensive parentage protections even further in New England, as Rhode Island passed its parentage act in summer 2020, following Maine (2015) and Vermont (2018). Among other vital protections, these reforms, based on the Uniform Parentage Act, provide clarity on how to establish parentage for children born through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and to unmarried same-gender parents, expands access to voluntary acknowledgments of parentage, provide guidance for courts on how to resolve competing claims of parentage, and provide paths for recognition of more than two parents. This legislation centers children and aims to protect their relationships with the people they know as parents. These parentage reforms are urgently needed for all families, and particularly for LGBTQ+ families.

Ashley and Adriana at their baby shower surrounded by balloons and a cake that says "baby" — We Care members Ashley and Adriana

At this moment, Massachusetts remains the only New England state without comprehensive parentage legislation. To meet this critical need, GLAD is advocating for the Massachusetts Parentage Act during this legislative session. We have joined forces with Massachusetts families and community organizations to form the Massachusetts Parentage Act Coalition. Have you directly experienced the vulnerabilities of outdated parentage laws? You can help be a part of the work to protect children and families by sharing your story and signing up for updates on massparentage.com.

Rep. Jeff Currey, Lisa Rosenthall, Professor Doug NeJaime, advocates Stephanie and Denise, and Patience Crozier — Rep. Jeff Currey, RMACT’s Lisa Rosenthal, Yale Law Professor Doug NeJaime, advocates Stephanie and Denise, and GLAD’s Patience Crozier

Watch the signing ceremony on Facebook.

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With Unanimous Bipartisan Support, Connecticut Senate Approves Landmark Parentage Bill to Extend Equal Access to Legal Protections for All Children

The Connecticut Parentage Act—which extends parentage protections to all CT children regardless of the circumstances of their birth or their parents’ marital status, gender, or sexual orientation—now heads to the Governor’s desk.

HARTFORD — In a victory for Connecticut families, the state Senate last night voted unanimously to pass the Connecticut Parentage Act (CPA). The House previously passed the CPA on a bipartisan basis141-1, and the bill now goes to Governor Lamont. The CPA will update state law to ensure that all CT children — regardless of the circumstances of their birth or the marital status, gender, or sexual orientation of their parents — have equal access to the security of a legal parent-child relationship.

“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 Senator Alex Kasser, (Connecticut 36^th distict), lead Senate sponsor of the bill. “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 CPA will modernize Connecticut law by ensuring access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-gender, or non-biological parents. For example, it will extend to same-gender couples access to the Acknowledgement of Parentage process, a simple form already available to unmarried different-gender couples that allows a parent to establish a legal parent-child relationship at birth without court proceedings. The CPA will also provide protections for children conceived through assisted reproduction, which account for four percent of all Connecticut births.

“We are now on the cusp of a Connecticut where all families are treated equally, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or marital status,” said Professor Douglas NeJaime of Yale Law School, a Connecticut native and principal drafter of the bill. “This bill, once signed, will make Connecticut parentage law fair and constitutional and will make LGBTQ parents and their children across the state more secure. We look forward to celebrating that day soon.”

“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, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) Senior Staff Attorney. “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 effort to pass the Connecticut Parentage Act is led by the We Care Coalition, a coalition of Connecticut families, legal advocates, and community organizations and spearheaded by a Yale Law School clinic and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. The bill is supported by a broad range of experts and organizations, including child advocates, legal organizations, LGBTQ groups, and medical experts.

The CPA was adapted from model legislation by the Uniform Law Commission, a non-partisan body of state lawmakers, state judges, scholars, and lawyers that produces uniform laws on a wide range of state-law issues. Similar legislation has been passed in Maine, Washington, Vermont, California, and Rhode Island.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONNECTICUT PARENTAGE ACT

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The Connecticut Parentage Act—which extends protections to all CT children regardless of the circumstances of their birth or their parents’ marital status, gender, or sexual orientation—now heads to the Senate.

HARTFORD — Today, in a historic vote, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed the Connecticut Parentage Act (CPA) 141-1, with overwhelming bipartisan support. If approved by the Senate, HB 6321 would overhaul existing state law to ensure that all CT children — regardless of the circumstances of their birth or the marital status, gender, or sexual orientation of their parents — have equal access to the security of a legal parent-child relationship. “Today, the House of Representatives voted to protect the rights of all Connecticut families, regardless of how they’re formed,” said Rep. Jeff Currey (East Hartford, Manchester, South Windsor), the lead sponsor of the bill. “The CPA will ensure that LGBTQ parents and their children no longer have to face degrading obstacles and painful uncertainty because of outdated and unconstitutional parentage laws. The Senate must now act without delay and vote to approve the CPA—our families cannot wait any longer.” The CPA would modernize Connecticut law by ensuring access to legal parentage for all children, including those with unmarried, same-gender, or non-biological parents. For example, it would extend to same-gender couples access to the Acknowledgement of Parentage process, a simple form already available to unmarried different-gender couples that allows a parent to establish a legal parent-child relationship at birth without court proceedings. The bill would also provide protections for children conceived through assisted reproduction, which account for four percent of all Connecticut births. “Today’s historic vote is a victory for children and families across Connecticut,” said Professor Douglas NeJaime of Yale Law School, a Connecticut native and principal drafter of the bill. “We are now on the cusp of a Connecticut that treats all families with the respect and recognition they deserve, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or marital status. We urge the Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation and protect LGBTQ parents and their children.” The effort to pass the Connecticut Parentage Act is led by the We Care Coalition, a coalition of Connecticut families, legal advocates, and community organizations and spearheaded by a Yale Law School clinic and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. The bill is supported by a broad range of experts and organizations, including child advocates, legal organizations, LGBTQ groups, and medical experts. The CPA was adapted from model legislation by the Uniform Law Commission, a non-partisan body of state lawmakers, state judges, scholars, and lawyers that produces uniform laws on a wide range of state-law issues. Similar legislation has been passed in Maine, Washington, Vermont, California, and Rhode Island. “A secure relationship to their parents is core to the wellbeing of every child, and today’s vote brings us one step closer to a recognition of legal parentage that reflects and protects the diversity of Connecticut families,” said Polly Crozier, GLAD Senior Staff Attorney. “We’re grateful to the leadership of Representative Currey, our sponsors, and every House member who voted today. We are hopeful that the Senate will act quickly to finish the job and ensure that all families are protected under Connecticut law.”

Take action today: Tell your Senator to pass the Connecticut Parentage Act

UPDATE: The CT House of Reps has voted to PASS the CPA. We are so moved by all the heartfelt remarks on the House floor today from both sides of the aisle. This is one more step taken toward passing this crucial legislation. Now, on to the Senate! pic.twitter.com/pqrmKlFcWy
— We Care for Parentage Equality (@wecarect) April 26, 2021

If you have a story about how current gaps in the law have put your family at risk, share your story.

For more information or to be connected with impacted families and supporters of the legislation, contact Cara Newlon at cara.newlon@yale.edu or Amanda Johnston at ajohnston@glad.org.