Three same-sex couples have sued Arkansas health officials for not allowing both spouses to be named on their children's birth certificates.
The three lesbian couples sued the Department of Health on Monday in Pulaski County Circuit Court and said they were told they would have to obtain a court order to name both parents on their children's birth certificates. The couples asked to have both parents listed on the birth certificates following last month's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
The lawsuit claims the department is violating the couples' constitutional rights, and asks a judge to prevent the state from denying birth certificates naming both parents to same-sex couples.
The lawsuit says the department's policy could affect a number of benefits, including insurance and inheritance.
