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Utah Lawmaker Is Surrogate Mom for Gay Couple
Surrogate mothers often try to remain out of the spotlight, but Christine Johnson’s job makes that hard. Johnson is a representative in the Utah Legislature.
She also happens to be a lesbian carrying a baby for two gay men in a committed relationship.
Johnson shared the story of her decision to go public with the Salt Lake Tribune last week, explaining the strict rules on adoption in her state have forced gay couples down this route. Currently adoption is forbidden to unmarried couples cohabitating in the state of Utah – and with gay marriage banned in the state, gay couples are in a Catch 22.
They can’t get married, hence they can’t adopt.
So Johnson, a mom to a teenager from a previous heterosexual relationship (with an ex-husband) has been impregnated with the sperm of one of the men. He will have rights as the biological father of the child, so Utah’s current restrictions won’t apply to him. His partner won’t be able to legally adopt the child, but they’ve decided this is the closest they can come.
Johnson, whose bill sponsorship in the Utah state legislature includes a Joint Resolution Urging an End to the U.S. Military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy, has served on the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission and Equality Utah. Open about her sexuality, Johnson has managed to secure a second term (with hopes for a third) in conservative Utah. The reaction from the other members of the legislature to her pregnancy has been surprisingly positive. Pregnancy for lawmakers is rare in and of itself – she’s the first in recent memory in Utah’s state government – and the conservative lawmakers have been excited on her behalf.
Even her status as out about her surrogacy – in part to make a point, in part because it’s unavoidable as a public figure not to explain her pregnancy – has been figured out. The baby will be aware of Johnson’s status in his or her life, and Johnson intends to be an involved aunt.
And maybe that aunt will be the one who finally makes Daddy number 2 a legal part of his/her life?
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5 Comments
[...] Utah Lawmaker Is Surrogate Mom for Gay Couple [...]
Best of Strollerderby January 10, 2010 | Famecrawler commented on Jan 10 10 at 10:05 pmcocobean commented on Jan 10 10 at 6:57 pmwow! amazing! Sad that this is this gay couples only option but at least they have such a great person that is willing to give them such a wonderful gift!
David Scott commented on Jan 11 10 at 4:51 pmIt should go without saying that a person should be allowed to marry whomever they choose. Until the right-wing, religious fanatics in this country stop trying to control everybody else and force their “morals” down the throat of the country, there can be no real freedom in the United States. Civil rights cannot simply be “voted away,” that is the purpose of the Bill of Rights. Religious activists should be left out of these decisions completely. I invite you to my web pages devoted to raising awareness on this puritan attack on our freedom: http://freethegods.blogspot.com/2009/06/san-franciscos-gay-pride-parade.html
Shannon Cate commented on Jan 18 10 at 7:42 pmThanks for the newsflash, Jeanne. What an interesting story pregnant with twists (pun intended).
isabel alonso commented on Jan 20 10 at 4:01 pmYAY!!!! this is soo cooool
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