Should you be free to choose a name for your child ... ?
http://www.newsweek.com/georgia-baby-name-allah-sue-aclu-lawsuit-575277
The parents of a 22-month-old girl, who remains without a surname, are suing the state of Georgia for the right to give her the last name Allah.
Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk gave their daughter the name ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah when she was born in Atlanta in May 2015. But the Georgia Department of Public Health refused to issue a birth certificate on the grounds that it violates a Georgia code stating that a baby’s surname must be either that of the father or the mother for the purpose of the birth certificate, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After growing frustrated during nearly two years of battles with the state, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit last week against the Georgia Department of Public Health. The suit alleges that the refusal to issue the toddler a birth certificate means the parents have been unable to obtain for her a social security number, medical coverage under Medicaid, food stamps or to enroll her in school.
Elizabeth Handy and Bilal Walk gave their daughter the name ZalyKha Graceful Lorraina Allah when she was born in Atlanta in May 2015. But the Georgia Department of Public Health refused to issue a birth certificate on the grounds that it violates a Georgia code stating that a baby’s surname must be either that of the father or the mother for the purpose of the birth certificate, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After growing frustrated during nearly two years of battles with the state, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit last week against the Georgia Department of Public Health. The suit alleges that the refusal to issue the toddler a birth certificate means the parents have been unable to obtain for her a social security number, medical coverage under Medicaid, food stamps or to enroll her in school.
