‘A huge load off our shoulders’: gay Singapore couple open up after landmark adoption case
- The two dads whose adoption case made international headlines say they are relieved and looking forward to a special family Christmas
FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS LINE the television console of a 1,450 sq ft flat in central Singapore. One shows a large group of family members in a rented villa in Bali several months ago, another is of a beaming couple and a third has the couple and their son.
A two-metre-tall Christmas tree stands on the right, with three bears – two large with a smaller one tucked between them – all sharing a red scarf.
It is Friday in the home of James, Shawn and their five-year-old son Noel. The family made the news on December 17 when a Singapore court ruled James could adopt Noel, the son he fathered using an egg donor. Both men’s sperm was used for the fertilisation of the embryo, which was carried by an American surrogate mother.
While the judges stressed their decision was made to prioritise the child’s welfare, even though it violated “public policy against the formation of same-sex family units”, the judgment was viewed as Singapore’s first legal acknowledgement of such families.
Yet since the ruling, the government, which opposed Noel’s adoption, has warned it would review adoption laws and policies. Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee said since the court recognised the government’s stance was a “relevant consideration”, other gay couples in similar circumstances may find it harder to argue that they did not intentionally seek to oppose policies against forming same-sex families.
For now, Singaporeans James and Shawn (not their real names) are relieved – and thankful – they have passed a major hurdle in their lives.
