Homosexual co-parenting
If you are a gay couple, do you want to have a child with a single person or another homosexual couple? Surround your child with love and become three or four parents together.
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Building Your Homoparental Family with Coparentalys
Are you a same-sex couple? Are you considering becoming parents, but unsure how to proceed? Do you want to meet another same-sex or heterosexual couple or a single individual for coparenting? On Coparentalys, meet the partners of your dreams to explore homoparenting.
What is Homoparenting?
The concept of family has become increasingly broad. It must be said that the definition of family is not a simple matter. If we refer to texts and laws, this definition pertains to a united group of individuals consisting of parents and children.
The traditional family model, which we have been accustomed to for a long time, refers to a father, a mother, and a child. However, today, with social progress and changing attitudes, the family is evolving.
The family now takes into account non-legal, non-biological bonds, such as adoption or coparenting. Thus, it is entirely acceptable to see a family composed of two fathers or two mothers. This is the concept of homoparenting.
In a homoparental family, the parents are of the same sex. The child in this family can be legally or not legally connected to one or both individuals or even to both people in the family.
An Overview of the History of Homoparenting
The concept of homoparenting itself is very recent. It emerged around the 1997s under the impetus of an advocacy group for gay and lesbian parenthood. This concept helped determine the parental relationships between homosexual parents and their children.
It also helped recognize a homoparental family, composed of individuals of the same sex and a child. While in some countries, homoparenting is not yet feasible, many other countries on the continent have popularized this notion. Thus, it is now possible for homosexuals to conceive a child through assisted reproduction or to adopt through surrogacy or coparenting.
What Solutions Exist for Establishing a Homoparental Family?
Since natural procreation is not possible in a homoparental family, they resort to several other ways to establish a family. The most recognized ones are:
Adoption (regulated by law and jurisdiction). Surrogacy (involving a surrogate mother). Assisted Reproductive Technology or ART (in a lesbian couple). Coparenting (finding partners to raise a child and build a family).
However, not all of these solutions are applicable to the same extent. Some are more complex than others and offer a better alternative. It largely depends on the laws you encounter. Some practices are not yet regulated.
Homoparental Adoption
French law considers that a child can only be adopted by two spouses (legally married). The law may vary depending on your country. Since same-sex marriage is already accepted in several countries, a same-sex couple is already recognized as legally married. For example, in France, same-sex marriage has been legal since May 17, 2013.
If you are already married, you can consider homoparenting through adoption. If there is no marriage, one of you can apply for adoption as a single person. This, of course, involves administrative and legal procedures that can be lengthy and costly. In the end, adoption may not be in your favor.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy, or simply using a surrogate mother, is not entirely in favor of homosexuals. Indeed, this practice is still currently prohibited in many countries, including France. Depending on the country, a same-sex couple may not consider this solution for having children.
Nevertheless, there are attempts to circumvent the law by engaging in surrogacy in countries where it is allowed. This involves many legal procedures and significant administrative efforts. This solution is more favorable for a gay couple where one of the parents can be the biological parent. Even if you succeed in these steps, parental rights over the child are still delicate. For example, only one parent may obtain legal rights.
Assisted Reproductive Technology or ART
ART has recently become a possibility for single women and lesbian women. However, waiting times are very long, and the administrative process can be discouraging.
Coparenting: The Best Alternative for Becoming Homoparents
Coparenting remains the best alternative for homosexuals to fully enjoy the rights of becoming parents without being hindered by the law and legal procedures.
Coparenting is a concept that allows partners to become parents without going through administrative or legal procedures. Coparents, along with the biological parents of the child, jointly care for the child. The biological parents remain the legal guardians, but coparents can also care for the child at times. Responsibilities towards the child are defined in a precise and clear contract. Coparents are referred to as social parents. Like the biological parents, they also enjoy parental authority.
Coparenting is a healthy concept in which the child grows up in a family based on mutual respect and good organization.
Homoparental Coparenting: How Does It Work?
Homoparenting and coparenting can take various forms. In this context, the child can have two parents or four parents. You can choose to coparent with another same-sex couple. You can also be a single homosexual who meets another single homosexual to start a family.
However, there is also a simpler way. One member of the lesbian couple can conceive with a member of the gay couple. The two biological parents can choose to be legally recognized as guardians. The other partners remain social parents. They can participate in the child's upbringing, care, and parental authority. It is also possible that only the biological mother has legal guardianship. In this case, the other involved parents are also considered social parents.
There is, therefore, no question of "step-parents." The other parent, the one who did not participate in conception (who did not provide natural sperm or did not carry the child biologically), is considered the social parent. However, the social parent does not have legal rights under the law.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that being social parents does not exclude the fact that they can take on responsibilities and roles similar to biological parents. Social parents also have the same duties and obligations as biological parents (custody, education, financial, moral obligations, etc.).
The Advantages of Coparenting for Homosexual Parents
At the moment, coparenting is the best way for homosexuals to become parents without going through extensive procedures. It is very easy and quick to undertake, and the law poses no obstacles as long as the parties involved are consenting, and the contract is well-defined. In fact, to fully exercise your rights as social parents, you must still create a coparenting contract in which the roles and responsibilities of each member are defined.
Coparenting is also the best way to start a family without giving up homosexuality. Indeed, it is difficult for a homosexual to become a parent in terms of both medical and legal aspects. Therefore, coparenting is the best alternative for them.
With coparenting, the child enjoys a favorable position. They have two or four parents. In both cases, they will always be cherished.