Symposium Focuses on the Unique Issues Facing Gays in Rhode Island

The School of Law recently hosted an important symposium on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people in Rhode Island.  The program, “A Gay and Lesbian User Guide to Rhode Island”, focused on six key areas facing LGBT citizens – estate planning, marriage, healthcare navigation, eldercare and Medicaid law, anti-discrimination, and formation of families.  The program, co-sponsored by our LGBT Alliance, Lawyers for Equality and Diversity (LEAD), and the National LGBT Bar Association, included 13 expert panelists (including two top members of the RWU Law faculty, Courtney Cahill and Diana Hassel) plus keynote speaker Gary Buseck, Legal Director for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

For the over 80 students, faculty and practicing attorneys in attendance, this event was not just educational, it was life-changing.  Below are the comments from one law student who attended:

“The Symposium was an invaluable experience for me both professionally and personally.  The formation of families panel was priceless.  For the past three years, my wife and I have tried to have a baby.  When trying to create a family, there are so many choices you have to make including what reproductive center to go to, what doctor to choose, and even where and what type of sperm to purchase.  Most of these choices may seem trivial because the cost is the same regardless of where you decide to go.  Because we live in Rhode Island, we chose a reproductive center in Massachusetts and decided to buy sperm from a bank in Massachusetts instead of California. Not becoming pregnant during that IVF cycle was disappointing but may have been a blessing in disguise.  Little did we know that had we conceived using the Massachusetts donor’s sperm, we would not have been able to second parent adopt.  We would have had to find the donor and have him sign away his parental rights before there could ever be a second parent adoption. I learned that unlike Massachusetts, California adheres to the Uniform Parentage Act which strips a sperm donor of his parental rights immediately.  It is hard to imagine the time, resources, and emotional energy that would have been required to rectify the situation.  From now on, we will use the California Cryobank and encourage our friends and future clients to do the same.”

Photo Caption: (left to right back row) Alliance President Scott Clark ‘11,
Bridget Mullaney, Esq., Gary Buseck, Esq., Marguerite McLaughlin,
Lise Iwon, Esq, Karen Loewy, Esq., Professor Courtney Cahill,
Patrick Smock, Esq. ’06, (front row) A. Larry Berren, Esq., Paul Brule, Esq.,
Dean David Logan, James Hardy, Esq.