Posted on 07/22/2005 10:22:17 AM PDT by SmithL
BOSTON - The governor's office has instructed hospitals to cross out the word "father" on birth certificates for children of same-sex parents and substitute "second parent," angering municipal clerks.
Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Gov. Mitt Romney, said Thursday that the certificates are perfectly legal.
But municipal clerks, who register and store birth records, say the cross-outs could leave the documents open to challenges by passport agents, foreign governments and other officials.
"They should not have a birth certificate that has crosses on it," said Barnstable Town Clerk Linda E. Hutchenrider, a past president of the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association. "They should be allowed to have a birth certificate that really looks valid."
Hutchenrider sent a letter to Romney in October, asking him to formally revise the birth certificates for the children of same-sex couples.
In recent weeks, she discussed the issue with Department of Public Health officials, but Hutchenrider said she was told the forms cannot be changed without the governor's approval.
Fehrnstrom said the health department has been advising hospitals to alter the documents since last year and that the governor believes the hand-altered certificates are valid.
"As long as they're recorded, they're valid," he said.
Fehrnstrom also said the state Legislature must authorize any changes to the birth certificates.
In 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, there were 61 children born to married same-sex couples out of about 80,000 children born in the state, according to data from the Department of Public Health. This year, the number stood at 75 by the end of June.
"It doesn't matter if there's only one or 500," Hutchenrider said. "They all deserve to have proper birth records."
Governor . . . executive branch . . . doesn't make laws, just enforces them.
"BOSTON - The governor's office has instructed hospitals to cross out the word "father" on birth certificates for children of same-sex parents and substitute "second parent," angering municipal clerks. "
This only works if both "parents" are women. What if they're both men? Does he go on to suggest that they cross out the "mother" line, and write in "second parent" as well?
See, you legalize sexual perversion, and you get all kinds of unintended consequences. Ithaca may be the city of evil, but Mass is rapidly becoming the state of evil.
I do not expect children to be born to same-sex couples who are men. They could adopt, perhaps.
Interesting. How did they do it?
Transgendered? What ever that is.
Thanks to the Leftists, yesterday's deviants are today's "alternate lifestyles."
Someone who is gearing up for, in the middle of, or has gone through, a sex change.
In other words, legitimized lunacy with a change in plumbing.
It should list the natural parent.
are you just this way part time, or is it your lifestyle choice?
Issuing (or re-issuing) birth certificates showing adoptive parents, rather than biological parents, has been common practice in this country for a long time. Not to mention that a significant percentage of birth certificates list the mother's best guess or deliberate lie about who the father is, rather than the actual biological father. Birth certificates have never really been intended as certificates of biological parentage.
Of course; but, wouldn't it be strange that a man's name would be on the mother's name on the certificate?
They sure do, if they're really bleepin' fathers!
Transgendered "women" are really just mutilated males. They cannot conceive or carry a child.
He is the elected governer of Gayachusettes. I was reading that other thread where most people were saying that he would make a good Repub candidate in '08. My head started to sping, my vision blurred and the next thing you know I was on a beach with 72 virgins. WTF?!
This guy is bad news.
Seems that's the case (not that he would have stood any chance anyway).
The libs want every birth certificate to read "First Parent" and "Second Parent". Romney says no, that if you want your sexual preference recorded on your kid's birth certificate you'll have to just make due as you can. He's not gonna change the state form to suit the homo whiners
I think he's holding out on our side here.
And I learned enough about him on that thread that there is no way I am going to vote for him.
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