Adoption

LISBON, Portugal -- Portugal's Parliament has passed a law allowing same-sex married couples to adopt their partners' children, but lawmakers rejected legislation granting gay couples the same adoption rights as heterosexuals. [ Read more → ]

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell plans to announce a new campaign Friday that aims to adopt 1,000 Virginia children out of foster care, but equality groups around the state are calling foul on the new initiative, which comes one year after McDonnell signed legislation allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against gay parents. [ Read more → ]

WASHINGTON -- A bill that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT people seeking to adopt or become foster parents is due to be reintroduced Tuesday in the U.S. Congress. [ Read more → ]

Former U.S. House Speaker, and failed GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, appearing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," falsely claimed that Catholic adoption agencies are being "outlawed" in some states where marriage equality laws take effect. [ Read more → ]

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Both spouses in a lesbian marriage must be recognized as legal parents to any child born during the couple's union, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. [ Read more → ]

NOVO-OGAREVO, Russia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that agreements with other countries on the matter of adoption of Russian children may be changed to ban such adoptions if those countries legalize same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]

PARIS -- The French Senate on Wednesday evening approved a key provision of its proposed marriage equality bill that would guarantee adoption rights to same-sex couples. [ Read more → ]

PARIS -- Paris riot police fought back crowds who pushed their way onto Paris' landmark Champs-Elysees avenue as part of a huge protest against a draft law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. [ Read more → ]

JACKSON, Miss. — Former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says he now regrets signing a state law in 2000 that bans same-sex couples from adopting children. [ Read more → ]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's government is supporting an effort to overturn a ban on gay adoption in the U.S. island territory. [ Read more → ]

Nebraska lawmakers listened to four hours of testimony on measures that would call for protection against discrimination of gay employees and gay couples looking to adopt children or become foster parents. [ Read more → ]

National Organization for Marriage board chairman John Eastman on Friday said comments he made to the Associated Press earlier this week "grossly misrepresents" his views on adoption. [ Read more → ]

Just two weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's ban on same-sex marriage, National Organization for Marriage (NOM) Board Chairman John Eastman referred to families with adopted children as “second best.” [ Read more → ]

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lawmakers are preparing to hear three bills on Thursday aimed at expanding rights for its LGBT residents. The Legislature's Judiciary Committee will hear testimony Thursday on legislation that would stop discrimination against LGBT employees, and extend rights to people seeking to adopt or provide foster care to a child. [ Read more → ]

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska lawmakers plan to bring gay rights issues back into the forefront with three proposals seeking to extend rights to employees and families. [ Read more → ]

DETROIT -- A judge said Thursday that a lesbian couple seeking to jointly adopt children made a "compelling" case Michigan's gay marriage ban violates the U.S. Constitution, but he wants to wait for guidance from the Supreme Court before deciding whether to throw it out. [ Read more → ]

DETROIT -- A lesbian couple's desire to adopt each other's children has grown into a potentially groundbreaking challenge to Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. [ Read more → ]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A lesbian whose adoption request was recently denied by Puerto Rico's Supreme Court is appealing the ruling. [ Read more → ]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rico's Supreme Court has narrowly voted to uphold a law banning gay couples from adopting children. [ Read more → ]

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday ruled against Austria's decision to deny a lesbian woman the right to adopt her longtime partner's son. [ Read more → ]