A Canadian man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple has said he signed a deal with them "under duress" is now demanding the courts recognise him as a father with liberal access rights. The lesbian parents say they had an agreement -- that Rene deBlois, the donor, would donate his sperm for artificial insemination and play no role in the life of the resulting child.

The dispute in Northern Ontario could lead to a precedent-setting trial, tackling head-on the legal grey area which often surrounds donated gametes. “We’re doing what we think is best for our child. He’s being raised in a happy and healthy environment,” Nicole Lavigne, one of the child's mothers, told the National Post. “His family is complete…. I think it’s very important that people be secure that the family they’ve created won’t be disrupted.” The donor, however, said in his Ontario Superior Court application that she, Nicole Lavigne, has failed to respond with her part of the original deal, by carrying a child for him. “[Ms. Lavigne] threatens and intimidates [Mr. deBlois] with the existence of the contract,” the document said. “He is no longer comfortable with the arrangement, and would like the contract voided.” ~ National Post, Jun 5