From today’s decision by the Court of Appeals of Virginia in Bruce v. Boardwine: 
 
 
 
 [Joyce] Bruce wanted to conceive a child she could raise on her own, without the involvement of a father. To accomplish this goal, Bruce approached [Robert] Boardwine, a longtime friend, and asked him to be a sperm donor. According to Boardwine, the two agreed that Bruce would be the sole parent and that he would be able to see the child as little or as much as he wanted. Boardwine, however, learned about the birth and went to the hospital with friends and family.  Story highlights In July 2010, Joyce Bruce got pregnant in an unusual way -- with repeated attempts using a turkey baster 
 
 The man who gave her his sperm wanted to have a role in his son's life 
 
 They ended up in court, and he has won joint custody and visitation rights 
 
 (CNN) Robert Boardwine's path to fatherhood was unconventional, but Virginia's appeals court said Tuesday he is legally entitled to be a part of his son's life.
– In Joyce Bruce's mind, Robert Boardwine was just an old friend who helpfully agreed to donate sperm so she could have a child—no parental rights attached. To Boardwine, however, and now according to a Virginia court, he's entitled to see his young son, CNN reports. The Virginia Court of Appeals' decision yesterday came down to semantics: In its judgment, the use of a turkey baster, which how Bruce inseminated herself with Boardwine's sperm in 2010, isn't enough to keep him out of the picture as the dad, per a Virginia reproduction statute, the Washington Post reports. Bruce contended that because the couple never had sex and instead used "noncoital reproductive technology," she was entitled to sole parenthood, per CNN. The court disagreed, writing in its decision: "The plain meaning of the term 'medical technology' does not encompass a kitchen implement such as a turkey baster." After making the conception plan, the couple's friendship started going south in October 2010 (a few months into the pregnancy) when they disagreed over baby names. She didn't call him when the baby was born, but when he found out, he started visiting. Bruce says those visits were "strained," however, and she asked him to stop coming, which is when he sued for parental rights. Boardwine concedes the two agreed Bruce would be the main parent, but he says they also agreed he could see the child as he pleased—all conditions they never agreed to in writing. The court awarded him joint legal custody and visitation. (A twist in a similar case: A Kansas sperm donor was forced to pay child support.)