Maryland Court Upholds Rights of Non-Biological Same-Sex Parents

On July 7, the Maryland Court of Appeals issued a ruling that non-biological and non-adoptive parents who help raise children are eligible for full parental rights. This will likely have an impact on the way the courts view what makes a person a legal parent.
The ruling was made after Maryland resident Michael Conover filed a lawsuit when he was denied visitation with his child. When Conover and his partner separated, two lower courts ruled that Conover had no rights to visit the two-year old because he was not an adoptive or biological parent.
Now, the case has been sent back to the lower court, which will determine if visitation is in the best interest of the child.
Conover has been fighting to see his son for around four years now, and the ruling of the appeals court has brought him one step closer.
Sources:

• Washington Blade
• The Washington Post