TWO WOMEN, A MAN, AND THEIR BABY: From the Montreal Gazette

There's no doubt the Montreal man fathered the girl who celebrated her first birthday in July--but should he get to be her daddy?

That's the emotionally and legally loaded question Quebec Superior Court will grapple with this week.

The toddler was born after the man donated sperm to an old flame who was starting a family with her lesbian partner.

A hearing starts today to decide whether the man should get to have his name inscribed on the girl's birth certificate and be the proud papa in her life.

He claims he always expected to be more than a genetic donor.

The mothers say they alone were supposed to be the child's parents--and are both listed as such on her birth certificate.

The outcome of the case could have profound consequences for an untold number of modern-day couples who have relied on sperm and egg donors or surrogate mothers to have children.

The case will also be a first test of new laws enacted in Quebec in 2002 that grant same-sex couples full parental rights. ...

The mothers were shocked and tried unsuccessfully to have the visits cancelled in appeals court, arguing sperm donors traditionally have no rights or obligations under the law.

To them, the man has no more claim to their daughter than any other family friend.

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