Massachusetts will soon have a new law protecting LGBTQ+ families

The Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously for a bill to add protections for LGBTQ+ parents and families on Tuesday.

The legislation, called the Massachusetts Parentage Act, will increase protections for queer families that use surrogacy and assisted reproduction.

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It was introduced in the state house by state Reps. Sarah K. Peake (D) and Hannah Kane (R) in a rare showing of bipartisan support for LGBTQ+ families. It changes the state’s definition of parentage and expands protections for non-biological parents.

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The act also removes gendered and outdated terms from Massachussett’s existing law. For example, the term “out of wedlock pregnancy” is removed, as is gendered language used to refer to parents, such as “mothers” and “fathers.”

“At the heart of this bipartisan legislation lies a simple yet profound principle: the recognition of legal parentage should not be contingent upon outdated norms or narrow definitions,” Kane said.

State Sen. Julian Cyr (D) sponsored the bill in the state senate. He said it was very close to his heart, as his sister and sister-in-law had to pay thousands of dollars for his sister-in-law to legally adopt the couple’s child.

“It is a real critical step to guarantee that all children can benefit from the stability of a legal parent-child relationship, no matter how they came into this world,” Cyr said.

The bill also received unanimous support in the Massachusetts House of Representatives this past June and will need to be approved by Gov. Maura Healey (D), who said she will sign the bill. Healey is out as a lesbian, and the state’s first gay governor.

“We’ve been proud to be a national leader and trailblazer when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality, but we’ve got some catching up to do,” Healey said in April. “Let’s pass the Massachusetts Parentage Act to make sure every family has the legal protections they need and deserve.”

Currently, Massachusetts is the only state in New England that does not have comprehensive statutory protections on parentage. This law, when approved by Healey, will change that.

Parentage laws, also known as parental recognition laws, define the legal relationship between parents and their children, allowing parents to make medical and other important decisions on their child’s behalf.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) celebrated the bill’s passage in the Massachusetts Senate. “After more than seven years of advocacy, so many children and families in Massachusetts—and countless future generations—will now have the basic protections that legal parentage provides for children,” said Polly Crozier, GLAD’s Director of Family Advocacy. 

“We thank Massachusetts legislators, especially the bill co-sponsors and the leaders of the House and Senate, for recognizing the importance of parentage equality and making it a priority to enact this bill.  We are now eager for Governor Healey to sign the MPA into law so that Massachusetts can ensure security for all children and families.” 

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