Fighting For Adoption!

My name is Jessica Dennis and I legally married my wife Nikki Dennis in 2019 in Louisiana. We welcomed our first son in May 2023! Because my wife and I are married, she was allowed to be listed on his birth certificate as his "parent 2."

Here is where the story gets crazy.. We knew that once our son turned 6 months old, Nikki would have to file to adopt him. We met with our attorney, signed all the paperwork, submitted all the requested documents, but due to CIVIL CODE ARTICLE 185, stating, "the HUSBAND of the mother is presumed to be the FATHER of a child born during a marriage," our judge decided that an adoption wasn't needed. BUT... my WIFE is NOT a HUSBAND nor FATHER and if anything were to happen to me, my wife would have to go before the court for custody and will be asked if SHE can pass a paternity test. THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUSLY.. NO!!

We are currently in the appeal process with the 2nd Circuit Court in Northeast Louisiana trying to get Nikki the adoption she deserves. SHE IS HIS MOTHER TOO! Now, we are also fighting the civil code that was cited as this is not just a fight that effects our family. There are other families in our area in the same situation.

We had the money saved for the initial adoption, but the fees for the appeal filings are starting to add up. I am not one to ever ask for help, but we also didn't expect to do everything "right", then to be told no. Please help Nikki adopt her son and fight this nasty code so other LGBTQIA+ families in Louisiana don't have to go through this. Even a share helps! Thank you for listening to our story.