British lesbian couple in Ecuador maternity battle

Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2012

British lesbian couple in Ecuador maternity battle

A British lesbian couple are at the centre of a constitutional battle in Ecuador after applying to have themselves both registered as parents of their child.

Nicola Rothon, left, and Helen Bicknell leave the Supreme Court of Quito, with their daughter Satya, earlier this month

Nicola Rothon and Helen Bicknell tried to register joint maternity after their daughter, Satya Amani, was born in December, but were denied permission.

The women, both 34, then filed a claim alleging discrimination and demanding that state prosecutors protect their constitutional rights.

Their case has led to heated debate in Ecuador and is being followed closely in a conservative society which is 80 per cent Catholic.

The Catholic Church itself has so far kept a low profile in the dispute, but is emphatic in embracing only heterosexual marriage.

Antonio Arregui, president of the conference of bishops, said: "There is only one mother."

He added that the view of most Ecuadorians was that "a normal family is father, mother and children".

Miss Rothon and Miss Bicknell met 16 years ago in Kenya, where they worked as volunteers. They entered into a civil partnership in the UK in 2010.

They now teach English and raise organic produce on the outskirts of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Their baby was conceived using a sperm donor, who was a mutual friend, and Miss Rothon carried the child to term.

In 2008 Ecuador adopted a new constitution extolling "families of diverse types" and recognising civil unions, giving them the same rights as marriage apart from joint adoption of children.

Miss Rothon said she is concerned that, if she were to die, the government might keep her daughter because her partner has no biological tie to the infant.

She said: "If something happens to me, does she go to an orphanage?" She added: "The constitution protects us but there is a loophole and that needs to be fixed. It will not be easy."

Miss Bicknell said: "It's always the case that when you're the first ones, you've got to fight to change the laws. For any child, it's best if two people love them and want to give them the best."

The women are now considering taking the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Isabel Salazar, 42, a member of an Ecuador group that rejects gay marriage and abortion, disputed the women's claims to joint parenthood.

She said child raising required the "complementarity of a male and female parent" and added: "We respect gays and lesbians, but they are a marginal group."

Sarahi Maldonado, an activist supporting the rights of sexual minorities in Ecuador, said: "It is outrageous to believe that you can't have a family in which no man is present."

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Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2012