London - A British transgender man on Wednesday lost his bid to
be legally recognised as the father of the child he gave birth to
last year.
The High Court rejected a claim by Freddy McConnell, a 32-year-old
journalist and single parent, that he should be registered as the
father on his child's birth certificate in what would have been a
legal first for Britain.
Judge Andrew McFarlane said the parental status of women who
transition to men still "derives from their biological role in giving
birth."
Lawyers for McConnell said the ruling was "a blow to the transgender
fight for equality."
"Freddy is legally a man and his legal papers display the same," said
Karen Holden, the founder of A City Law Firm, in a statement.
"In the UK he has the right to change his gender on his own birth
certificate, so why not his child's?" Holden said.
She said the lawyers wanted to stop McConnell being "forced to
register as a mother to his child, which we believe is contrary to
his right to private and family life... [and] discriminatory against
trans and intersex parents."
McFarlane said there was "a material difference between a person's
gender and their status as a parent."
A "mother" is someone who "undergoes the physical and biological
process of carrying a pregnancy and giving birth," he said.
Holden said McConnell is considering whether to appeal the ruling,
adding that British law remains behind "other, more progressive
countries."