Except for some sperm donors somewhere--who, it may be relevant to point out, aren't considered fathers under California state law--no men were involved in the three gay parenting cases decided by the CA Supreme Court today. But they could still be affected, especially if they're a gay couple and it's their parental rights we're talking about.
The rulings announced in California keep the state at the forefront of family law, defining parental and family rights and obligations in situations that other jurisdictions never seem to face (ack, those crazy Californians!). In these cases, gay partners were allowed to be named on a child's birth certificate; ordered to pay child support for a non-genetic child born to an ex-partner; and granted parental rights for non-genetic children (i.e., the partner's egg) they gave birth to, even after waiving said rights in the event of a breakup.
Only the third case, the egg donor one, had any dissents, and that's because a justice felt an egg donor and a sperm donor might be being treated differently. Stay tuned.
California Ruling Expands Same-Sex Parental Rights [nyt]
