Detroit Free Press

Renee Harmon

A 4-3 court majority on Friday denied Renee Harmon’s appeal request along party lines. The three Democratic justices on the court, Michael F. Cavanagh, Diane M. Hathaway and Marilyn J. Kelly, dissented.

The case involves Renee Harmon and Tammy Davis, whose 19-year relationship ended in 2008. Davis is the biological mother (via artificial insemination) to their three children. After the relationship ended, Harmon was initially given, then denied, visitation and she sued for parenting time. A Wayne County judge ruled in April 2010 that Harmon had legal standing to try to pursue joint custody of the children she helped raise, but the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed that decision.

This case brings into question the scope of Michigan’s “equitable parent” doctrine and whether Harmon’s constitutional rights were violated when the Court of Appeals ruled that she lacked standing as a parent. The equitable parent doctrine recognizes a legal relationship between a de facto parent and child when the parent desires such recognition and is willing to support the child.

“I find it tragic that the justices in the majority party are unwilling to grant these three children access to one of the only two parents they’ve ever known,” said Denise Brogan-Kator, Executive Director of Equality Michigan, in a statement.

“These children are also denied the financial and emotional support that comes from recognizing both parents. Cases like this should not be decided based on the relationship of the adults to one another, but rather based on the relationship of the adult to the children. We hope that a federal court will examine the constitutional questions and consider the best interests of the children. It’s sad that the Michigan Supreme Court has refused to do so.

“This court action continues the systematic attacks that prevent lesbian and gay parents from creating and maintaining strong families in Michigan. The case underscores the need for more pro-equality candidates to run for judicial positions throughout the state. Legal recognition of families headed by lesbian and gay parents is long overdue – we have fallen far behind other states.”

Harmon now plans to take her case to federal courts.

Anthony (left) and Shawn Raftopol, with their daughter Zoe, also born to a surrogate in 2006.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a gay couple who were denied parental rights by the state after they used a surrogate to give birth to their child.

The court’s decision is being hailed as a victory for both same-sex couples and any other parents that use surrogates.

Anthony and Shawn Raftopol were legally married in Massachusetts in 2008, and used a surrogate to give birth to their twins, Sebastiaan and Lukas, now 2. Because Anthony, 41, was the biological father, he had full parental rights. But when the couple tried to obtain a birth certificate, also naming Shawn, they were told he had no legal claim to the children.

Via ABC News:

But the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled this week that Shawn Raftopol, 40, has parenting rights, even though he is not the biological father, because the couple had a valid surrogacy agreement.

The court rejected the state’s argument that the co-parent would have to go through a second-parent adoption proceeding in order to be listed on the birth certificates.

The decision will have far-reaching ramifications for other couples — gay and straight — who choose to have their children through surrogacy.

The court’s decision affirmed a lower court’s order confirming their parentage, and requires the state to issue the Raftopol’s a corrected birth certificate. The ruling allows for two partners who sign a surrogacy agreement in Connecticut to have both their names on the birth certificate, even without a genetic link.

The Raftopols have been together for 16 years and used the same egg donor and gestational carrier for the birth of their daughter Zoe in 2006.

But amid notes of congratulations, the New York Post has come under fire for its print and online headline, “Elton & wife proud dads.”

Via Brian Moylan at Gawker:

“It is just a cheap, dull, and unoriginal joke, that it’s below the NY Post, which prides itself on having some of the cleverest headlines in the business.

Oh, and it’s doubly offensive to gay men, not only because it says that anyone who would want to enter into a relationship with another man is womanly, but also because it also pokes fun at the fact that we can’t even get married if we want to.”

Their son, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. John, 63, and Furnish, 48, have been together 17 years, and have been in a civil partnership since 2005.

“We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment. Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents,” the couple said in a statement.

Neil Patrick Harris and partner David Burtka are officially dads.

Harris, star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother announced Friday via Twitter, that twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace arrived on Oct. 12.

Babies!! On 10/12, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace entered the Burtka-Harris fold. All of us are happy, healthy, tired, and a little pukey.

Back in August, Harris confirmed rumors that he and Burtka were expecting twins in the fall via a surrogate.

Apparently NPH loves to Tweet, and previously announced, “So, get this: David and I are expecting twins this fall. We’re super excited/nervous/thrilled. Hoping the press can respect our privacy.”

The couple used the Growing Generations agency to find a surrogate to carry their twins.

The pair have already started planning their baby shower, according to E! News, who first reported the twins were on the way, via a surrogate.

“So, get this: David and I are expecting twins this fall. We’re super excited/nervous/thrilled. Hoping the press can respect our privacy,” Harris “tweeted.”

Later in the day, the expectant dads hammed it up at Disneyland.

Harris is up for three Emmys this month — one for Best Supporting Actor Comedy on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” a second for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for “Glee” and a third for hosting last year’s Tony Awards.

Burtka has experience with twins; he helped to raise twins from a relationship with a previous boyfriend, although he wasn’t a primary parent to them.

In April, Johnson (pictured) offered to be a surrogate for the Salt Lake County couple, her close friends, after they expressed frustration with the difficulty of adopting a child in Utah, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

State law forbids cohabiting, unmarried couples from adopting. But some gay couples venture to other states or try to adopt in Utah as single parents.

Johnson became pregnant in September — on the first attempt — with one of the men’s sperm. He will have the same rights to the child as any biological father. But his partner, under Utah law, cannot be an adoptive parent.

Johnson offered to be a surrogate at no cost to save the couple the prohibitive price of hiring one — as much as $100,000. (The men are picking up the medical tab.) She also is excited to help a couple who might not otherwise have been able to have a child.