New South Wales

The Daily Telegraph newspaper in New South Wales, Australia has reported that a gay couple has had the ban on them becoming foster parents overturned and have been awarded $10000 compensation. The story appeared in the Daily Telegraph by Bruce McDougall.

[ More Australian Gay Parenting News available at http://gaydadsaustralia.blogspot.com ]

A GAY couple have won a landmark discrimination case after they were banned from becoming foster parents because they are homosexual.

Children born through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to lesbian mothers will have the same rights as those of heterosexual couples, under law changes announced by the NSW government.

Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said he had accepted NSW Law Reform recommendations extending "parental presumption" provisions to cover gay mums.

It was estimated 20 per cent of the state's female same-sex couples had children, Mr Hatzistergos said.

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