More panic-mongering over IVF birth certificates

The headline writer carefully chose the most inflammatory notion for the headline "Another blow to fatherhood: IVF mothers can name ANYONE as 'father' on birth certificate":

Family values were under attack again last night with the news that single women having IVF will be able to name anyone they like as their baby's father on the birth certificate.

New regulations mean that a mother could nominate another woman to be her child's 'father'.

The 'father' does not need to be genetically related to the baby, nor be in any sort of romantic relationship with the mother.

The Daily Mail clearly is trying to find the most alarming aspects to highlight in this issue . . . and the key information is hidden a few paragraphs below:

The second parent, who will have to consent to being named, will take on the legal and moral responsibilities of parenthood.

In other words, no matter what the mother claims on the birth certificate, the nominated father (or "second parent") has to agree that they are taking on the legal responsibility of parenthood for that child or children. That's actually a more sensible arrangement than in many jurisdictions where the named father may not even be aware that they're now legally required to support a child until the child welfare authorities descend with court-ordered support demands.

Of course, another part of the agenda might be to pump up anti-homosexual agendas:

Critics said a woman could list her best friend on the birth certificate. The word 'father' may even be replaced with the phrase 'second parent'.

[. . .]

This raises the spectre of a legal minefield in which female 'fathers' will fight for visitation rights and be chased for child support payments if their fragile relationship with the mother breaks down.

Because, of course, everyone knows that gays and lesbians don't have strong relationships with their partners, right? Unlike heterosexual relationships which, as we all know, never break down and leave children with only one parent in their daily lives, right?