I fully take your point about the non-recognition of women’s rights about children, but there is *even less* thought given over to gay men who wish to become parents in their own right! This leads us into IVF rights in one respect, but there are implications for family formation too. Ailbhe Smyth’s pointed, staunch and embodied critique on TV3 of this aspect of the Bill resonated with me this morning. As a lesbian mother she voiced a sense of her dismay and fears, as only a mother can, about the possible impact of neglecting children in same-sex parented families. My thought in that moment was actually how lucky she’d been to be a parent and part of me felt quite envious of and also supportive of lesbian mums’ precarious legal positions. Blatently, we need families to be recognised. Full stop.

I also definitely don’t want to be called a “connected person”, it’s like how my elderly female neighbour is appalled when she’s referred to as “qualified adult” by welfare or health boards, rather than ‘wife’ or ‘Mrs H’. “Connected person” makes me sound like a “person of interest” and it denies my status and identity as a partner. If I have to settle for this legislation, I want to be known as ‘civil partner’. Let me choose my category! And let’s put that on the next census!