Yukon’s parentage and naming laws may become more inclusive
The Yukon government is moving towards more inclusive child naming and parentage laws with the release of a report summarizing feedback gathered during consultations held last year.
Eight Indigenous languages are spoken in the Yukon, all of which rely on characters not found in the Roman alphabet that cannot currently be included in official territorial identification.
Forty-four per cent of participants said parents should be able to include letters and characters that are not part of the Roman alphabet in their child’s name.
Many Indigenous respondents also emphasized the importance of name reclamation as a step toward reconciliation and cultural preservation.
Additionally, the report examines barriers faced by 2SLGBTQ+ families striving for legal recognition and individuals using assisted reproduction or surrogacy to grow their families.
The Yukon’s laws establishing parentage currently require that a “mother” be registered upon a child’s birth, with “mother” defined as the woman from whom a child is delivered.
The law does not currently consider situations of surrogacy, where the individual delivering the child may not intend to act as a parent.
“Inclusion is the very spirit of the Yukon territory,” said Tracy-Anne McPhee, territorial minister of health and social services.
“We recognize that the Government of Yukon’s current legislation addressing parentage and naming options available to Yukoners would benefit from modernization.”
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