Adoption

German Adoption Ruling Through the Eyes of a German Lesbian Mom

Germany’s highest court ruled Tuesday that same-sex partners may adopt children already adopted by their partners. Stephanie Gerlach, a lesbian mom living in Germany, who has been writing, researching and counseling in the field of lesbian and gay parenthood for over 20 years, sent me an e-mail explaining the ruling in the context of the broader situation for gay and lesbian couples in her country. She was kind enough to let me share it here.

Three’s Company: How Many Parents Make a Family?

A Florida judge has allowed three people—two lesbian moms and the man they asked to be their sperm donor—to be listed on the birth certificate of their toddler. And the Dutch justice ministry is about to commission a report examining the possibility of recognizing three parents or more for one child. For some of the parents involved, this expanded recognition is good news; for others, not. But although three-parent recognition may seem newfangled, it has been around for longer than you might think.

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

LGBT Parenting Roundup

Personal stories, political moves, and celebrity news I haven’t covered elsewhere (or that bear repeating).

Michigan House Committee Passes Bills to Deny Children Homes

Michigan has 14,000 children in foster care at any moment, over 5,000 of whom need homes because their biological parents’ rights have been terminated. A Michigan House committee, however, has passed two bills out of committee that would allow adoption agencies to deny an adoption placement based on the agency’s moral or religious beliefs. While agencies could use that to deny placements with many people, it’s pretty clear the main targets are LGBT people.

Nevada Marriage Ruling Insults All “Non-Traditional” Families

He probably doesn’t know it’s National Adoption Month. But when U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones ruled that Nevada’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples did not violate the U.S. Constitution, he insulted not only same-sex couples, but also adoptive and single-parent families.

Florida Lesbian and Gay Adoptive Parents Tell Their Stories

How time flies. It’s been two years since Florida overturned its ban on gay men and lesbians adopting children. In that time, over 200 children have been adopted by gay or lesbian parents, according to the ACLU. Two hundred children! The ACLU led the legal fight against the ban, and recently created this video showing plaintiff Martin Gill and his sons, along with Vanessa and Melanie Alenier, another Florida couple who were fighting in court to adopt their son.

Adoption: Starting the Journey

November is National Adoption Month, and while it’s certainly not the only time we talk about adoption around here, it’s a good time to re-emphasize the many stories and resources by and for LGBT adoptive parents. I’ll be putting up extra adoption-related posts throughout the month. I hope you’ll stop by, whether you’re an adoptive parent, considering adoption, or simply want to show your support for one of the many ways we create our families. Let’s start at the beginning, with a lovely letter by a prospective mom to the child she and her partner hope to adopt.

Kids of Lesbian and Gay Parents Play in Less Gender-Stereotyped Ways

A new study has shown that adopted children of same-sex parents are “significantly less” gender stereotyped in their play habits than adopted children of opposite-sex parents. That news is likely to be seen as a Bad Thing by many on the extreme right—but as the study notes, many scholars, parents, and educators today believe a more flexible attitude towards gender roles is less limiting to children’s development. Such openness may thus have psychological benefits—and that’s a Good Thing.

Two New Books Reveal LGBT Lives

Stories can be told in many ways. Two new works—one poetic, one academic—take strikingly different approaches to telling the stories of LGBT people and families.

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