Is Elton John’s Partner, David Furnish, Really A Mother?

[naomi24]

Germaine Greer has criticised Elton John for naming his husband David Furnish as the 'mother' on the birth certificates of their two sons.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8739313/Germaine-Greer-slams-Elton-John-naming-husband-mother-sons-birth-certificates.html

David Furnish has hit back, telling her to mind her own business, but does she have a point? Does it make any sense at all to describe a man as a ‘mother’?

[ToraToraTora]

Perlease!

[barry1010]

Barsel, their children call Elton, Daddy and David, Papa

[pixie374]

Jno, the mother is the person the eggs came from. Any DNA test can tell you that.

[ichkeria]

“ I wish i had claimed Jason Mamoa to be my children's dad now.”

Do you live with Jason Mamoa as husband and wife though Pixie? ;-)
Lordy tho that’s another thing: imagine calling David Furness a wife

[ichkeria]

Furnish :-)

[pixie374]

Well.... not yet, ich. I clearly didn't think ahead!

[ichkeria]

“ Surely birth certificate should name the couple as joint fathers”

Is one of them the actual father any more than the actual mother?
As far I’m concerned if they want to call one parent the mother then up to them.

[barry1010]

pixie, you have just described the biological mother. Adopted children and their adoptive mothers may not agree that that is enough to be 'mother'.

[jno]

pixie, if I had to make a choice, that would be mine; but it's not the one dannyk's Collins link gives - "the woman who gave birth to you" sounds like the woman with the uterus to me.

Science has separated out traditional "mothering" functions; the language (and birth certificates) may need to follow suit.

[pixie374]

A birth certificate gives the biological parents. It isn't really about "wishes and wants". Sometimes it is good to find your bloodline, if you needed a bone marrow transplant, etc. Everyone should be able to find theirs if they want to.
What you are describing is what the adoption certificates are for. They give the rights, responsibilities, acknowledgement etc to the adoptive parents. It's just truth, not about which adult deserves what.

[pixie374]

Jno, I think we all know what a mother is without needing a dictionary. As I said, ask for a DNA test. It isn't a competition about who loves who more... just a record of who the child has come from. You can't just lie about it.

[pixie374]

^^ I don't mean "you" personally.

[Barsel]

pixie, the female who's eggs are used, is the biological Mother, but, the female who raises the child, cares for it, loves it, can also be called Mother,but it has to be a female. In the same way a Male is called a Father.

[ichkeria]

I'd never heard of Jason Momoa.
I googled.
A bit hairy (and male, tho I was expecting that) for my tastes but I see what you mean (!)

[ichkeria]

I'm sure the couple aren't actually claiming one of them to be the mother.
That would be silly.
But they can put it, it seems, and therefore if it's what they want ...

[pixie374]

Barsel, yes, she would be an adoptive mother and can call herself what she likes. But this is a legal document, and basically fraud.
Thanks ich, lol.

I'm not sure how far this has got, but I have seen that scientists managed to fertilise one egg, with the nucleus (I think) of another. So, it may be possible to actually have two mothers.

[dannyk13]

jno, The dictionary definition goes on to say //You can also call someone your mother if she brings you up as if she was this woman. //

[Barsel]

Pixie, that is confusing and I don't know why that was done, but going back to naomi's question of can David Furnish be a Mother, the answer is no. Whether someone is the biological mother, the adoptive mother, or no relation whatsoever, a Mother is a Female.

[Barsel]

danny see my post at 12.43.

[pixie374]

Yes, barsel. I'm certainly not suggesting that an adoptive or step parent isn't a proper parent. Just that the documents should be accurate. If I had brought in a stepdad for mine, I wouldn't be changing my children's birth certificates... it wouldn't be fair or accurate.