Delaware strengthens legal protections for LGBTQ+ families as other states move the opposite way

As conservative lawmakers across the country target transgender rights and revisit long-settled questions about LGBTQ+ equality, Delaware moved in the opposite direction.On Tuesday, Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed legislation modernizing the state's parentage laws, expanding legal protections for children and families formed through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, donor conception, and other paths to parenthood commonly used by LGBTQ+ people.The updated Delaware Parentage Act may lack the political flash of debates over bathrooms, sports, or marriage equality — but for many LGBTQ+ families, advocates say, few laws are more consequential.The Advocate requested comment from Meyer's office, but did not receive a response.Parentage determines who is legally recognized as a child's parent. It governs everything from custody rights and inheritance to health insurance coverage, medical decision-making, Social Security benefits, and access to a parent following a divorce. When those relationships are unclear under state law, children can be left vulnerable."Parentage is the legal relationship between a parent and their child," Meg York, chief legal and policy officer at COLAGE, told The Advocate ahead of the bill signing. "Sometimes people don't realize that they may be parenting, but they may not have parentage."The legislation updates Delaware law to align with the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act, a model law designed to ensure children have legally recognized relationships with their parents regardless of marital status, biological connection, sexual orientation, or method of conception.Supporters say the measure closes gaps that can emerge when children are born through fertility treatments, surrogacy arrangements, or donor conception — situations that have become increasingly common among both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual families."Today, we celebrate a victory for all children and families in Delaware," Jordan Wilson, executive director of COLAGE, said in a statement