Calif debating sperm donor rights

California’s state Legislature is preparing to battle over a bill that could redefine the family unit and the parental rights of sperm donors – a move that has split gay and lesbian advocates and has some women’s rights groups up in arms, reports today’s San Francisco Chronicle

images“On Tuesday, the Assembly Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear the debate kicked off by state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo.

“State law now holds that, unless parties make an agreement in advance, a sperm donor is “treated as if he were not the natural father” and the mother is the sole legal parent.

“But under Hill’s proposed SB115, a sperm donor who “receives the child into his home and openly holds the child out as his natural child” could be declared a legal parent. Hill said his bill would better protect children – but critics suggest it could reshape thousands of families by opening the door for sperm donors to claim parental rights.

“The proposed legislation has set off a round of celebrity-fueled coverage because it showcases the case of actor Jason Patric, 47, the star of the film “Lost Boys,” who is in a legal battle with former girlfriend Danielle Schreiber over custody of their 3-year-old child, Gus.  Continue reading “Calif debating sperm donor rights”

Texas men fear tampons

Ok, stop rolling your eyes.

What you are about to read actually happened in the Texas legislature, as posted on the MaddowBlog.

“Inside Texas’ state legislature, loaded guns are fairly common. As the New York Times reported in March, “Just as Texas has long embraced its guns, so has the Capitol. Legislators have walked the terrazzo hallways, attended committee hearings, met with constituents in their offices and voted on the floors of imgrestheir respective chambers while armed with licensed high-powered pistols tucked beneath their suits or slipped into their boots or purses.”

“But as debate begins in the state Senate on sweeping restrictions to reproductive rights,tampons are being confiscated. No, seriously.

Women are being forced to throw out tampons and maxi pads to enter the Senate gallery, which has been confirmed by DPS. […]

However, people with concealed handgun licenses are allowed to bypass long lines to enter the Gallery through the expedited CHL entrance, and per DPS, if a person has a CHL, they can take their gun into the gallery.

“For the record, this is not a joke. I’ve confirmed this with many people in Austin this afternoon. Continue reading “Texas men fear tampons”

California nears gender identity legal breakthrough

Gender identity will no longer limit California students in their decisions concerning which bathrooms and locker rooms to use, or which sports teams to join, reports today’s DailyCaller

“Under a proposed law that has passed the state legislature and now awaits the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown, students in California will be able to make such choices based on their perceived gender identities, CNN reports.

“Assembly Bill 1266 aims to extend the rights of transgender students. The text requires that students “be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”In May, California’s Assembly had approved the proposed law, which was advertised as the School Success and Opportunity Act. This week, the state Senate passed the proposal by a 21-9 vote. Representatives for Gov. Brown have not signaled whether he will sign the bill. If the new law goes into effect, it will be the first such law anywhere in the country that expressly insists that public school facilities and school-sponsored activities provide equal access to all students based purely on the way they feel about their genders. Continue reading “California nears gender identity legal breakthrough”

Arizona backs down on transgender law

Faced with an outcry from advocacy groups, an Arizona lawmaker has changed his proposed legislation that would have made it a crime for a transgendered person to use a bathroom other than his or her birth sex, reports the Huffington Post.

“The new bill by state Rep. John Kavanagh ditches that effort and instead seeks to shield businesses from civil or criminal liability if they ban people from restrooms that don’t match their birth sex. The House committee Kavanagh chairs voted to advance the so-called “bathroom bill” late Wednesday on a 7-4 party-line vote as a crowd broke out in chants of “shame, shame, shame.”imgres-6

“The hearing room was packed with people from the LGBT community who opposed the bill and complained that even the revised version was based on fear. Patty Medway, a transgendered woman who was born a man, said she’s been using female bathrooms for years without a problem. She called on Kavanagh to back away from his effort.

“I’ve been using washrooms for 15 years and I don’t want to be discriminated against, and I’m scared to go to a male washroom,” she said.The conservative Republican said he listened to the criticism of what one local television station dubbed the “Show Me Your Papers Before You Go Potty” bill.

“The revised bill is designed to shield businesses from lawsuits while protecting people from being exposed to what he described as “naked men in women’s locker rooms and showers,” Kavanagh said. It doesn’t prohibit businesses from allowing transgender people from using the restroom they want. To Kavanagh’s point that he worried about young girls being exposed to transgendered people in restrooms, Medway said that just doesn’t happen.”

 

Full story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/arizona-transgender-bathroom-bill_n_2967997.html