Ontario to change law that forces same-sex couples to adopt their own kids

Ontario parents who conceive their children usingassisted reproduction will get more legal rights as laws thatrequire same-sex couples to adopt their own children are beingupdated.

The Liberal government is introducing the All Families Are EqualAct today, which would update a parentage law that hasn't beenchanged since 1978.

Some LGBTparents and others who are not biologically related totheir children often need to go to court to be legally recognized asparents.

But the new legislation would ensure all couples who use assistedreproduction to conceive, including the use of a surrogate, arelegally recognized as parents.

New Democrat Cheri DiNovo introduced a private member's bill lastyear to make birth registration services available to all LGBTfamilies, saying it's not right that parents should have to adopttheir own children.

She says her bill was modelled on legislation passed in BritishColumbia in 2014, and similar bills have been approved in Alberta,Manitoba and Quebec.