State Supreme Court Could ify Some Gay Adoptions

The California Supreme Court has been asked to ify thousands of adoptions by gay couples. An appeals court in San Diego ruled two years ago that so-called “second-parent” adoptions are illegal. Attorneys today argued that there was never a law on the books to authorize the adoptions, which let a birth parent´s partner adopt a child, even if they´re not married.

In 1986, California became the first state in the union to recognize such adoptions. One judge today suggested that permitting such adoptions satisfies “the best interest of the child.”

If the Supreme Court sides against the practice, it could ify an estimated 10,000 adoptions. Still, it would not affect future adoptions. Since the San Diego decision, the state legislature has explicitly authorized gay adoptions.