EDGE New England

Gay and lesbian families in Britain who wish to use surrogacy to answer their call to parenthood will soon have help close to home--thanks to the UK’s first gay surrogate parents, Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, who live in Essex.

In two separate court rulings, New York state has bolstered the rights of gay and lesbian families.

In another example of the labyrinth of legal rulings arising from gay couples, a woman in Santa Cruz, Calif., is seeking joint custody of the twins she and her former female partner were raising.

Some sensational recent court cases in the news have put a spotlight on the legal limbo that in which a patchwork of state laws places gay parents. EDGE examines the issues behind the headlines.

Utah Rep. Christine Johnson (D-Salt Lake City) is carrying a baby for two gay men. Utah does not allow gay men to adopt, so this circumvents that law.

A New Jersey gay couple has lost a court case, with the surrogate mother of their twin daughters being named as the legal mother despite the fact that the surrogate has no genetic relation to the girls.