Kamal Ghorui
Three legal parents? A welcome thought
If two parents weren’t enough – eyeroll – a 4-year-old, in Europe, has three legally recognised parents.
Upside: those teen tantrums, coming in the future, can be shared three-ways. Jokes aside, it’s the story of a child who lives in Germany, with two men, who are married, one of whom is the biological parent, who fathered him with a woman, the couple’s friend.
The Italo-German, non-biological father’s request, that Italy, too, legalise his adoption of the child, was rejected.
Local authorities suspected surrogacy, illegal in Italy. But an Italian court said rubbish, and allowed the adoption – ergo, the child now has three legal parents. Two dads and a mom.
It’s delightful, and reassuring, to see courts uphold the idea that parenthood can be a fluid concept, with expansive interpretation.
Tradition sees parents as a hetero couple, an idea hardwired into societies, across religions, globally. Yet, society is nudged – on a daily basis – in some part of the world or the other, to be accommodative and accepting of individuals’ choices and circumstances.
In this case, law, often slow and creaky, was refreshingly surprising, catching up with lived reality.
Instead of dredging what’s considered the norm – two parents – it expanded the meaning of parenthood. What matters, end of day, is not the configuration of a family, but the quality of care a child receives. Three people are legally bound for this kid’s well-being, and in that, he’s rather fortunate.
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