Mississippi Court Takes Same-Sex Rights Case

PEARL, MS — A lesbian couple who had a son through in-vitro fertilization and later divorced will argue over whether the woman who didn't give birth should have status as a legal parent.

The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear the case Wednesday on whether 44-year-old Chris Strickland should be listed as the legal parent of a boy that her then-wife conceived.

A lower court judge ruled during a divorce that Strickland wasn't a parent. The judge said "two women cannot conceive a child together." He said the anonymous sperm donor still had paternal rights.

Strickland has only visitation rights to the now 6-year-old boy.

Strickland wants that ruling overturned, saying it goes against the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. She wants legal parental status and 50-50 custody.

By JEFF AMY, Associated Press

Photo by Joerg Koch/Getty Images