LGBT adoption

LGBT adoption refers to the adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered people.

Controversy

There is significant controversy surrounding adoption by same-sex couples. The controversy generally concerns whether or not there will be negative consequences for children raised by same-sex couples. Specific questions include the potential for gender confusion, biased sexual orientation, or the general well-being of such children. For a brief survey of related arguments and sociological studies, see the main article.

A study by UCLA Law School's Williams Institute found that forbidding qualified gays and lesbians from adopting or fostering children could cost the United States between $87 million and $130 million per year. The study noted that gays and lesbians often take in children heterosexuals do not, including those who are older, disabled, HIV+ from birth, or who have a history of misbehavior; the study claims that finding suitable heterosexual couples willing to care for hard-to-place children would be difficult.

Legal status around the world

Adoption by same-sex couples is legal in Guam, Andorra, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada and the U.S., Denmark, Germany, Iceland, and Norway allow "stepchild-adoption" so that the partner in a civil union can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner. In the Republic of Ireland and some other countries, individual persons, whether heterosexual/homosexual, cohabiting/single may apply for adoption.

In February 2006, France's Court of Cassation ruled that both partners in a same-sex relationship can have parental rights over one partner's biological child. The result came from a case where a woman tried to give parental rights of her two daughters to her partner whom she was in a civil union with.[1]

On June 2, 2006 the Icelandic Parliament voted for a proposal accepting adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment for same-sex couples on the same basis as heterosexual couples. No member of the parliament voted against the proposal. The law went into effect on June 27, 2006.

Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia have specific laws than ban gay or lesbian individuals from adopting. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington State and Washington, D.C. explicitly allow second-parent adoption by same-sex couples statewide, either by statute or court ruling. [2] Courts in many other states have also granted second-parent adoptions to same-sex couples, though there is no statewide law or court decision that guarantees this. In fact, courts within the same state but in different jurisdictions often contradict each other in practice. Single parent adoption by LGBT individuals is legal in every state except Florida. [3] This makes it possible for same-sex couples to "adopt," in jurisdictions where second-parent adoptions are not permitted, though only one individual is legally recognized as the parent. The exception to this is Utah which prohibits adoption by "a person who is cohabiting in a relationship that is not a legally valid and binding marriage," [4] making it legal for single people to adopt, but illegal for two non-married people living together to do so, regardless of sexual orientation. Critics of such restrictive policies also point out that in many of the states that have bans on second-parent adoption by same-sex couples, these same couples are still able to act as foster parents.

In Canada, adoption is within provincial/territorial jurisdiction, and thus the law differs from one province or territory to another. Adoption by same-sex couples is legal in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. In Alberta, stepchild adoption is allowed. Adoption by same-sex couples is illegal in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut. In the Yukon, the law regarding adoption is ambiguous. NDP MP Libby Davies, who is in a same-sex relationship, has campaigned for national uniformity when it comes to same-sex adoption.

In Australia, same-sex adoption is legal in the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, while stepchild adoption is possible in Tasmania.

In New Zealand, preliminary New Zealand Law Commission Reports and white papers have raised the issue already, while Metiria Turei, a Green Party of New Zealand List MP raised the issue in late May 2006. In February 2005, the Greens had suggested that an adoption law reform clause should be added to the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005, which equalised heterosexual, lesbian and gay spousal status in New Zealand law and regulatory policy, apart from the Adoption Act 1955. While the measure was unsuccessful, it remains to be seen whether a reintroduced adoption law reform bill on its own would fare differently. [5]

A January 2005 ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court allowed step-child adoptions for same-sex couples. Israel previously allowed limited co-guardianship rights for non-biological parents.[6]

In 2007 UK Catholic adoption agencies which make up around a third of the voluntary sector have said they will shut if forced to comply with new government legislation requiring them to enlist gay couples as potential adoptive parents.

See also

• LGBT parenting
• Adoption
• Same-sex marriage
• Biology and sexual orientation
• Civil union
• LGBT rights

Bibliography

• New Zealand Law Commission: Adoption- Options for Reform: Wellington: New Zealand Law Commission Preliminary Paper No 38: 1999: ISBN 1-877187-44-5

Further Reading

• Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth & K. Lee Lerner (eds) (2006). Gender issues and sexuality : essential primary sources.. Thomson Gale. ISBN 1414403259.  Primary resource collection and readings. Library of Congress. Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms

• Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth & K. Lee Lerner (eds) (2006). Family in society : essential primary sources.. Thomson Gale. ISBN 1414403305.  Primary resource collection and readings. Library of Congress. Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms

Wikipedia information about LGBT adoption This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "LGBT adoption". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.