Gay adoption

From Free net encyclopedia

Gay adoption refers to the adoption of children by homosexuals or same-sex couples.

1 Controversy
2 Legal status around the world
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 External links

Controversy

Like many issues involving homosexuality, gay adoption tends to be a controversial issue. Critics of the practice have long argued that children are harmed when they are not raised in the presence of both a father and a mother of two different genders. Others have argued that exposure to homosexuality at a young age can potentially harm a child's development and maturity regarding gender roles or sexuality in general.

Supporters, by contrast, argue that loving same-sex couples can be just as effective parents as mixed-sex couples. They say that statistics do not indicate that children raised by same-sex couples are any more likely to be affected by social problems, or are any more likely to "become" homosexual later in life.

Numerous studies conducted by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups have found there to be little if any difference between the effects of parenting conducted by same-sex couples and that of heterosexual couples.

Other supporters may oppose same-sex adoption as a "first priority" for adoption agencies, but argue such adoptions are still better than single-parent families.

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Legal status around the world

Gay adoption is legal in Sweden, the Netherlands, Andorra, Spain, England and Wales, Scotland and Belgium. Iceland, Norway, Germany and Denmark allow "stepchild-adoption" so that the partner in a civil union can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his 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 who she was in a civil union with.[1]

Within the U.S., California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. allow adoption by openly gay and lesbian couples. [2] [3] Florida is the only state that completely prohibits gay adoption. Mississippi, Oklahoma, Colorado and Utah all make same-sex adoption virtually impossible. Critics of anti-gay adoption policies also point out that in many of the states that have bans on gay adoption, gays are still able to act as foster parents.

Image:Gay Adoption Map North America.png

In Canada, adoption is within provincial/territorial jurisdiction, and thus the law differs between each province and territory. Gay adoption is legal in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. In Alberta, gay men and lesbians can only legally adopt their partner's child. Gay adoption is illegal in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nunavut. In the Yukon, the law regarding adoption is ambiguous, and it is not known if gays and lesbians can legally adopt there. New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Libby Davies, who is in a same-sex relationship, has campaigned for national uniformity when it comes to gay adoption.

In Australia, gay adoption is legal in the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, while step-child adoption is possible in Tasmania.

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.[4]

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Trivia

One prominent figure in America's gay adoption debate is actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell, who is an adoptive parent in a same-sex relationship. O'Donnell is remembered for her efforts in challenging Florida's gay adoption ban.

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