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The Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) has welcomed the NSW Attorney-General's announcement that he will push the Federal Government to change the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) to recognise children born through donor insemination to lesbian couples. These changes would mirror legislation passed in NSW, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT, which recognise co-mothers as legal parents under the law.
The changes would give children equal rights to child support and help clarify contact and residence issues between parents upon the breakdown of a relationship.
"Recognising our families under the Family Law Act is essential for providing children with financial and emotional security if their parents' relationship breaks up or one parent dies. Changes to the Family Law Act would rectify inconsistencies and uncertainty in child custody and support issues for lesbian families", said Emily Gray, GLRL Female Convenor.
The announcement comes after concerted lobbying of federal and state MPs by the GLRL, after the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department revealed that Family Law Act changes would not be included in either tranche of federal omnibus same-sex relationship reform expected this year.
"Before the last election, the Rudd Labor Government promised our community it would to remove all discrimination against same-sex couples and their children, with the exception of the Marriage Act. Leaving out reform in the Family Law Act would be a broken election promise by the Rudd Government," said Peter Johnson, GLRL Male Convenor.
The Family Law Act was one of the 58 discriminatory laws highlighted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Same Sex Same Entitlements report. Over 1000 people have already sent a letter to the Commonwealth Attorney General as part of the GLRL's 58 '08 campaign, demanding equality in federal laws by the end of 2008.
Community members are urged to visit www.glrl.org.au/58 and send a message to the Commonwealth Attorney-General to remind Labor of its promise to remove discrimination in all federal law, including family law.
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