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Lawsuit: Idaho Paternity Law Unfair For Same-Sex Couples

Kellie Parker
/
Flickr Creative Commons

A 37-year-old Nampa woman is challenging Idaho's laws on artificial insemination, paternity and vital statistics, saying they discriminate against same-sex parents.

The Spokesman-Review reports that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Adela Ayala and her 4-year-old daughter, who is the biological daughter of Ayala's former same-sex partner.

According to the lawsuit, opposite-sex couples that have a child by artificial insemination only need to sign a form to establish legal paternity but same-sex couples must go through adoption procedures to obtain any legal relationship to the child.

Attorney Howard Belodoff, who is representing Ayala, says the artificial insemination statute in Idaho was written more than 20 years ago. Same-sex marriage became legal in Idaho in 2014.

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