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Children born to lesbian mums in New South Wales, Australia, now have the same rights as those born to heterosexual parents.

The change affects children born through IVF or artificial fertilisation only, and grant parenting rights and obligations to the non-biological mother.

Some of the new rights:

• Recognition of both parents by school authorities
• Improving access to guardianship orders for elderly parents
• Workers compensation and victim compensation payments where one or both parents are killed or injured
• Inheritance of both of the parents’ assets

The laws are retrospective, allowing biological mothers to put their same sex partner on the birth certificate as a co-mother. Both women in the same-sex couple must be in a relationship at the time of conception for the new childcare laws to apply.

“The current law discriminates against these children who, at the moment, have a relationship with the birth mother’s partner that is not recognised by law,” said New South Wales State Attorney-General John Hatzistergos. “They are unable to take on inheritance, or the benefits of compensation which may be due … following a death or injury.”

The New South Wales government estimates that 20% of the state’s lesbian couples have children.

[via Mombian and When do we get the toaster?]

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