Lesbian parents fight to expand LGBTQ+ family rights in EU court
A lesbian couple who went to the European Union’s top court to force Bulgaria to recognise same-sex parents officially said they hope their legal battle brings new rights for families across the continent.
Their daughter – identified only as Sara – has been left stateless after Bulgarian officials said they would only recognize the girl’s birth mother in a case that rights groups say highlights inequalities faced by many LGBTQ+ parents. “Families come in many varieties.
This type of discrimination should not be tolerated,” Kalina, the Bulgarian mother of Sara, said in emailed comments to Openly. “I am sure that our case will have great impact in the upcoming years as it will open the doors for many people in similar situations to ours to fight for their rights.” Both Sara and her parents have only been identified using pseudonyms to protect their privacy.
Sara was born in Spain in 2019, where authorities issued a birth certificate listing both Kalina and her British-Gibraltan partner Jane as her mothers.
