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Email to:

carmel.tebbutt@tebbutt.minister.nsw.gov.au; bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au; bob.debus@debus.minister.nsw.gov.au

CC:

glrl@glrl.org.au

Body (email text):

Dear Minister,

Over 25 years worth of research has shown that children raised in gay and lesbian families are much like those raised by heterosexual parents. It is well demonstrated that it is family processes not family structure that determines a child's well being. It is not having a lesbian or gay parent that
disadvantages a child - it is our government's discriminatory laws.

I urge you to immediately implement the recommendations from the GLRL report, And then… the Brides Changed Nappies (April, 2003):

1. Amend the Status of Children Act 1996 (NSW) to make the definition of de-facto partner gender neutral. This will deem consenting co-mothers of donor insemination (DI) babies born to lesbian couples as parents in all NSW laws.

2. Amend the Births Deaths and Marriages Regulations 2001 (NSW) so that co-mothers of DI children can be listed as the second parent on birth certificates.

3. Change the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) to make the definition of de-facto partner gender neutral so that gay and lesbian parents can use the current step-parent adoption provisions when they are actually in the position of step-parents.

4. Change the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) to include a new provision for co-parent adoption. This will allow gay and lesbian co-parents to adopt with a presumption in favour of adoption where there is only one legal parent.

5. Introduce a simple and inexpensive mechanism by which lesbian mothers can seek child support from one another if their relationship breaks down.

Blatant discrimination is never in a child's best interests. It's time to recognise our families.