Rowen and her mums Louisa Wall is pushing a special one-off law that would allow a 20-year-old Upper Hutt woman to have both her mothers listed on her birth certificate. In a case that was raised during the marriage equality debate due to its inherent unfairness, Rowen Sullivan has been left without one of her mother's names on her birth certificate. When one of her mums Diane Sullivan became terminally ill with lung cancer, her other mother Doreen Shields was not able to jointly adopt her, because she was an IVF baby born before a 2005 law change. Doreen became a guardian instead, and adopted Rowen after Diane’s death. It means Rowen now only has one of her mums on her birth certificate, something a bill Louisa Wall has put forward would change. A rare private bill, the Sullivan Birth Certificate Bill, would require Rowen’s birth certificate to be changed so both her mothers are listed. APNZ reports the bill will pass its first reading with support from all parties except New Zealand First, and then be considered by the Government Administration committee.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 7th August 2013 - 10:33am