Homosexuals Want to Remove “Mother” and “Father” From All Birth Certificates

Earlier this year, Rep. Rafael Anchia introduced HB 537 which would have removed of the words “Mother” and “Father” from Texas adoption birth certificates. The bill passed out of committee, but did not pass the Texas House. However, after the recent Supreme Court ruling on same-sex ‘marriage,’ same-sex couples are wanting go beyond adoption birth certificates and remove “Mother” and “Father” from all birth certificates as recently reported by the Dallas Morning News.

According to the article, a spokesperson from the Texas Department of State Health Services said that a review is taking place regarding the marriage decision and after the review is completed the Department of State Health Services will “make any necessary changes as soon as possible.” The report goes on to make it clear that homosexual advocates want to change state law without approval of the Texas House and Senate. The story says

“The Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage prompted changes to the Texas marriage-license application. Now, some gay and lesbian couples have turned their attention to birth certificates. They want the state to remove gender-specific language from the document and its application forms.”

The “gender specific language” that’s being discussed is in state law (Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 192), and it clearly requires a listing of a “Mother” and “Father”. State law currently requires that adoption birth certificates forms contain “the names of the adoptive parents, one of whom must be a female, named as the mother, and the other of whom must be a male, named as the father. State law also requires that birth certificate forms have space to record “the signatures of the biological mother and biological father.”

Removing “Mother” and “Father” from any birth certificate denies not only biology, but also a child’s identity and it directly takes away the rights of all parents to call themselves mother and father on their child’s birth certificate. Banning “mother” and “father” also requires action by the Texas Legislature, and is not a change that a state agency can make by itself behind closed doors.

We urge you to contact your state Texas House & Senate members, Gov. Abbott and the Texas Department of State Health Services to stop the removal of “Mother” and “Father!”