Continuously Debated, Increasingly Accepted

The truth is, gay and lesbian parents have actually been adopting children for years, but most were done under the guise of being a single – and heterosexual – hopeful parent.

Today, more and more gay couples are foregoing the secrecy and adopting openly as a homosexual couple.

LGBT parents face an uphill battle in many areas of the country. Utah for example, prohibits adoption by couples who are cohabitating but not legally married. Utah does not allow gay marriage, making it almost impossible for a gay couple to jointly adopt a child.

Mississippi will allow a gay individual to adopt but does not allow adoption by same-sex couples while Florida doesn’t allow gay adoption at all – whether as an individual or a couple.

And while the laws in other states might not be so clear cut, many areas still have a distinct bias against gay adoption.

Gay couples considering artificial insemination should also remember that guardianship of a child is not automatically assumed by the non-birthing parent as it would be in a heterosexual marriage. A legal adoption by the non-birthing parent would be required to establish a binding, permanent relationship.