3-parent birth certificate is OK'd by judge
After a lengthy court battle, two women and the gay man they used as a sperm donor have agreed that all three will be listed as parents on the birth certificate of their 23-month-old daughter, and a South Florida judge has approved the settlement.
Maria Italiano, 43, and Cher Filippazzo, 38, were legally married in Connecticut. They and a hairdresser for one of the women, Massimiliano “Massimo” Gerina, had an oral agreement about their arrangement, but a legal dispute erupted as he pondered the responsibilities of fatherhood, reported the Miami Herald’s Gay South Florida blog.
“We’re creating entirely new concepts of families. If you have two women seeking to be listed as Parent One and Parent Two, that does not exclude listing a man as father,” said attorney Karyn J. Begin, who represented Gerina.
The Daily Mail, Reuters and the Tampa Bay Times also have stories.
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Antonio Marin posed in photos with the smiling parties after they reached the unusual agreement.
Although state law does not recognize the paternity of a sperm donor, Gerina argued that his role was broader. The two women will have custody of their daughter and he will have visitation.
