Former lesbian partner seeks visitation

SEATTLE — A woman who raised a child from birth to age 6 while dating the girl’s biological mother asked the state Court of Appeals on Friday to recognize her rights as a parent.

If the court agrees, it could create a new class of parent in the state. The three judges who heard the arguments gave no indication when they would rule.

Sue Ellen Carvin, who goes by "Mian," sued her former partner, Page Britain, in King County Superior Court in November, alleging that Britain had unfairly cut off access to Britain’s biological daughter, identified in court papers as L.B.

The two had been together for about six years when they decided to raise a child together. Britain was artificially inseminated and gave birth in 1995. For the next several years, Carvin stayed home to raise the girl, who called her "Mama" and Britain "Mommy."

But a year and a half ago, Britain and Carvin split. Britain married the sperm donor and subsequently barred Carvin from seeing L.B.

"This is an important case," Carvin’s attorney, Patricia Novotny, told the judges. "It’s important because a human relationship hangs in the balance."

Court rulings in a handful of other states have recognized the parental rights of former homosexual partners, said the Northwest Women’s Law Center, which is representing Carvin.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court, for example, ruled that a lesbian who helped her partner raise a son had become a "de facto" parent and was entitled to visitation rights when the couple split up. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of that case in 1999.