Transforming Law's Family: The Legal Recognition of Planned Lesbian Motherhood (Law and Society)

In recent years, gays and lesbians, along with their families, have become more visible in Canadian society. In Transforming Law's Family, Fiona Kelly explores the complex issues encountered by planned lesbian families as they work to define their parental rights, roles, and family structures within the tenets of family law. While Canadian courts recognize lesbian parenthood in some circumstances, a number of issues that are largely unique to planned lesbian families – such as the legal status of known sperm donors and non-biological mothers – remain undefined. Drawing on interviews with lesbian mothers, Fiona Kelly illuminates the changing definitions of family and suggests a model for law reform that would enable the legal recognition of alternative forms of parentage.