Romney Refused To Provide Accurate Birth Certificates For Children Of Same-Sex Parents

[ProSense]

Romney Refused To Provide Accurate Birth Certificates For Children Of Same-Sex Parents

By Zack Ford

Further clarifying Mitt Romney’s insensitivity to LGBT people and their families (which he didn’t even know they have), the Boston Globe reports that as governor of Massachusetts, Romney prevented the Department of Health from issuing accurate birth certificates for the children of married same-sex couples. After marriage equality was ruled into law by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in late 2003, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics insisted that birth certificate forms needed to be revised from the “father”/”mother” dichotomy to include gay and lesbian parent — but Romney objected.

Instead, the GOP presidential frontrunner forced his top legal staff to individually review every same-sex birth, and only after winning their approval could hospital officials and town clerks manually cross out “father” on the forms for lesbian couples. Gay males couples were actually required to seek a court order to secure their parenthood. As a result of these arbitrary policies, the 10-day deadlines for issuing birth certificates were often not met for many children.

According to the Globe, dozens of email and legal memo exchanges document Romney’s intention to make it more difficult for same-sex couples to start families. Peggy Wiesenberg, deputy general counsel for the Department of Public Health, warned that the process placed their children at an unfair disadvantage, particularly later in life when the authenticity of their certificates is questioned. In addition, she pointed out that crossouts and handwritten alterations constituted “violations of existing statutes” that harmed “the integrity of the vital record-keeping system.” Romney’s aides largely dismissed town clerks’ concerns and the birth certificate forms were only officially changed after Gov. Deval Patrick (D) took office.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/10/25/1087441/romney-refused-to-offer-accurate-birth-certificates-to-massachusetts-same-sex-couples/

Any wonder why this callous asshole is losing big in MA?

[Scuba]

1. I predict you'll soon be hearing from the callous asshole anti-defamation league.

[ProSense]

2. Did you mean to call Mitt a "callous asshole"? n/t

[Scuba]

5. Why would I slander callous assholes?

[ProSense]

7. LOL! n/t

[HopeHoops]

3. Um, no. No wonder.

[TalkingDog]

4. I think all three parents should be listed. A birth certificate is, in part, a health document

The biological father, if known, needs to be listed. If the child grows up with health issues that do no spring from the mother, knowing who the father is and what medical conditions he may have can be lifesaving.

It is often frustrating that bureaucracies are so slow to adapt.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. Actually? I see nothing wrong with this.

A birth certificate should list the names of the parents, not the "parents" in the sense of "family", or "couple who will raise the child", but "sperm and egg donor". I don't really see anything wrong here. There's a not insignificant issue of, say, the child of a same-sex couple who has a genetic defect related to either the sperm or egg donor; having that be a matter of record and traceable is probably more important than catering to people's feelings by listing a biological impossibility on the birth record.

[ProSense]

8. Romney Denied New Birth Certificates For Gay Parents In Massachusetts

Romney Denied New Birth Certificates For Gay Parents In Massachusetts

As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney refused to change the language on birth certificates for the children of same-sex couples, forcing individual state review of birth certificates for gay parents, the Boston Globe reports.

When the Supreme Court of Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2008, the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics pushed to revise the language on birth certificates issued to gay couples by changing the word "father" to "father or second parent." But then-Gov. Romney, who opposed gay marriage and child-rearing by same-sex couples, denied the request. Instead, he opted to have his own lawyers review every single birth to a same-sex couple and have changes to the certificates made by hand in ink. This was done throughout Romney's tenure despite warnings from the Department of Public Health that this practice could put these children at a disadvantage later in life, according to documents obtained by the Globe.

Read more at the Globe.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/romney-denied-new-birth-certificates-for-gay-parents

[gollygee]

9. In 45 years, one of these kids can have his/her own birther conspiracy

when he/she runs for president, all thanks to Mitt Romney!