Quebec LGBTQ2S+ minister 'open' to recognizing multi-parent families

Quebec's minister responsible for LGBTQ2S+ issues, Martine Biron, says she's open to developing some form of recognition for families with more than two parents.

In Quebec, a child can only have two parents in the eyes of the law.

But groups like the Coalition des familles LGBT+ have called upon the Legault government to provide legal recognition for multi-parent families.

Multi-parent families may arise from a variety of situations.

For example, a sperm donor who helps a same-sex couple conceive may choose to have a parental role in the child's life. Or, multiple people involved in a polyamorous relationship may choose to raise a child together.

Although Biron has no firm stance on the issue, she said the door remains open.

"I'm open to different formulas," she said Friday.

Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette has rejected the proposal in the past. In the fall of 2021, while presenting his bill to reform family law, he closed the door on legal recognition of multi-parent families.

"For us, it is very clear that the family unit has only two parents," he said. "The literature and studies do not show that it is better for a child to have more than two parents."

Does Biron intend to take a different stance?

"I'm thinking about it," she replied. "The [LGBTQ2S+] strategy will come out soon, in the spring. We can come back to you on these questions."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 3, 2023.