A toddler in Florida is set to have three parents on her birth certificate after a gay man and two lesbians fought a lengthy legal battle.
Earlier this month a judge approved the set up which leaves one of the lesbians with “sole parental responsibility” and the other woman as a legal adoptive parent.
The gay man is recognised as the father by the State.
Verbal
The dispute came about after the man, Massimiliano “Massimo” Gerina, provided his sperm for the lesbian couple to use, on a verbal agreement.
He claims he considered himself a parent and not simply a donor, but Florida law says men providing sperm in artificial inseminations have no legal rights.
The lesbian couple have had a homosexual wedding in Connecticut – something which is not recognised in Florida.
Privately
Ahead of a trial date at the end of last month, the three adults and their lawyers settled the case privately.
Local Judge Antonio Marin approved the settlement and the court adoption clerk submitted paperwork for the child’s new birth certificate.
The lesbian couple, Maria Italiano and Cher Filippazzo, did not give media interviews, but the gay man spoke of his desire to be a dad.
Male figure
Mr Gerina said: “I want to be a father. I guess it is nature. A woman wants to be a mother and a man wants to be a father one day”, he said.
He also commented: “The mothers are in charge. I’m just going to spend time with her. They are the parents”.
And Mr Gerina remarked: “It is a kind of a modern family, but I’m very old style. I believe that kids should have both a male figure and a female figure”.