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Same-sex birth certificate ruling appealed by Indiana attorney general

Posted at 12:34 PM, Feb 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-01 13:09:12-05

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana's attorney general is appealing a ruling that allows same-sex parents to be listed on their child’s birth certificate.

In June 2015, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt said Indiana must grant the same parental rights to married same-sex couples as opposite-sex couples.

Freedom Indiana officials said they believe the attorney general's appeal puts politics ahead of LGBT families.

“By putting the interest of children first, Judge Pratt’s ruling helps to ensure that all loving and capable parents are to be treated equally under the law, including same-sex couples. Sadly, Attorney General Hill’s decision puts politics ahead of LGBT families, and it further damages the state’s reputation as an open and welcoming place for all,” said Chris Paulsen, campaign manager for Freedom Indiana.

In February 2015, a Lafayette same-sex couple filed a lawsuit against the state as they believed Indiana’s birth certificate law was discriminatory.

The two women said when they asked to have both of their names on the birth certificate of their son, the Tippecanoe County Health Department replied they could not under Indiana code.

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