OTTAWA: He remains an only child, but last week a 5-year-old Ontario boy became a member of a larger family when an appeals court ruled that he has three parents: a father and two mothers.
The boy, who cannot be identified under a court order, has been raised by his biological mother and her partner, who was given parental status by the Ontario Court of Appeal last week. But from birth, the boy’s father has also been involved in his upbringing.
The court decision affirming the partner’s parental rights, which overturned a 2003 trial court ruling, is the latest in a series of legal actions expanding the rights of same-sex couples in Canada. Like those earlier rulings, this one was swiftly criticized by some religious and family groups for undermining traditional definitions of marriage.
