Northeast
Massachusetts bill redefining parenthood, stripping away 'mother,' 'father,' could soon be state law
A Massachusetts bill, which seeks to update state law to redefine who legally qualifies as a parent, passed in the state senate on Thursday and now awaits signature from Democratic Governor Maura Healey to become law.
The Massachusetts Parentage Act aims to ensure “legal parentage equality” for children born to parents “without regard to the marital status, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents or the circumstances of their birth, including whether they were born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy,” the bill text explains.
The bill requires gendered terms like “father” and “mother” to be stripped from state parentage law and replaced with more “inclusive” terms like “parent” or “the person who gave birth.” Advocates say the bill protects the legal parenting rights of diverse and LGBTQ families.
Democratic state senator Julian Cyr, a co-sponsor of the bill, celebrated its passage on X, writing, “LGBTQ+ families like mine face excessive and expensive hoops just to ensure our children have the security of legal parentage. The Senate’s passage of this bill is a critical step towards parentage equality in Massachusetts!”
CATHOLIC COUPLE SAYS THEY WERE BLOCKED FROM FOSTERING CHILD DUE TO LGBTQ BELIEFS: ‘ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED’
Boston-based LGBTQ advocacy group GLAD praised the passing of the “historic” Massachusetts Parentage Act. (Sophia Groves/Getty Images)
The bill drew attention on social media this week after the popular account Libs of TikTok noted the bill’s passage on X. The post attracted millions of views and thousands of negative comments from critics.
“And they say it’s conservatives who are ‘waging war’ against women: It would also replace the terms ‘man’ & ‘woman’ with ‘persons’ and replace ‘mother’ with ‘person who gave birth,’” author Nancy Pearcey reacted.
“It’s always been about corrupting our language, destroying the family, then taking away our rights & freedoms,” former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines wrote.
The Massachusetts bill would also expand legal parenthood through surrogacy. (iStock)
Fox News Digital reached out to co-sponsors of the bill to ask about specific criticisms of the bill, but did not receive a response.
Governor Healey has previously expressed support for the bill, which she said was long overdue.
“We’ve been proud to be a national leader and trailblazer when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality, but we’ve got some catching up to do,” Healey said in April, according to The Boston Globe. “Let’s pass the Massachusetts Parentage Act to make sure every family has the legal protections they need and deserve.”
If signed, Massachusetts would join Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, who’ve passed similar parentage legislation in recent years, according to Boston-based LGBTQ advocacy group GLAD.
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Will the Boston Red Sox cut ties with Aroldis Chapman before the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline?
That’s going to be the biggest question hanging over the organization ahead of the deadline if the Red Sox aren’t able to fully turn their season around. After taking down the New York Yankees on Friday, Boston has a 27-35 record. The Red Sox’s contest against the Yankees was postponed on Saturday and the two American League East rivals will conclude their brief series at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Boston clearly has a lot of work to do right now. With the club currently struggling in the standings, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote that Chapman is “expected” to join his eighth different team this summer and get moved.
What Will Boston Do With Aroldis Chapman?
“Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is expected to join his eighth different team, and potentially be in the postseason with his sixth different team,” Nightengale wrote. “He is the top reliever available on every contender’s target list, converting 28 consecutive saves dating back to last season, one shy of his career record.”
If the Red Sox are eight games below .500 at the beginning of August, like they are now, then this idea unfortunately, would make sense. But it’s important to note that on Saturday, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported that Boston has fielded calls on Chapman, Justin Slaten, and Garrett Whitlock but has told teams that the trio currently isn’t available. The idea of Chapman being moved is fully contingent on whether the Red Sox can make progress in the standings over the next two months.
Right now, the Red Sox are just three games out of an American League Wild Card spot, so it’s not the craziest idea in the world to believe they can make up some ground here. Plus, let’s not forget that some point Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony will be able to return.
So, right now, the Red Sox are in a tough spot, which gives some life to Nightengale’s point, but it’s still a bit too early to fully jump to conclusions. If the Red Sox can go on a little run, then all of a sudden the perception will shift around Boston. If not, then the club will end up getting a haul in exchange for Chapman if the club actually does end up moving him before the deadline.
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Three people have died as a result of a house fire earlier this week in Mercer County.
According to the City of Sharon Bureau of Police, a fire on Friday at a home on Sherman Avenue sent four people to the hospital. At the time of the transport, three of the four people taken to the hospital were in critical condition.
On Sunday morning, police said that three victims who were in critical condition died on Saturday evening from the injuries sustained in the fire.
The victims were identified as 38-year-old Sarah Jacobson and two children, Kevin and Izabella Jacobson.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Jacobson family at this time of tragedy,” City of Sharon Chief of Police Edward Stabile said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV.
The fourth victim, according to police, is now listed as being in stable condition.
The fire happened at the home just after midnight on Friday morning, and the cause is still under investigation. Sharon police, along with the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Sharon Fire Department, are all coordinating in the investigation.
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WTNH) – A water main break in Rocky Hill Sunday morning will impact traffic for much of the day on Grimes Road.
According to Rocky Hill Police the break happened at approximately 7:10 a.m. in the area of 40 Grimes Road between Louis Place and Hillside Avenue. Motorists are advised to take alternatee routes and avoid the area.
The Metropolitan District Commission is on scene making repairs which could take up to 8 hours.
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