Even during times when many U.S. states are pushing for legislation that would prohibit same-sex couples from adopting a child, The New York Times reports that there’s still a growing number of gay couples who are adopting and starting a family of their own.
Census numbers show that 19 percent of same-sex couples raising children reported having an adopted child in the house in 2009, which is up from just 8 percent in 2000. The trend of more same- sex couples adopting most likely comes with the overall increased acceptance of gays and lesbians in American society along with the growing number of children that are waiting to be adopted.
Utah and Mississippi are the only U.S. states that explicitly prohibit same-sex couples from adopting, but gay couples in Texas will still face a great deal of legal hurdles through the adoption process. The Texas Health and Safety Code 192.008 states that "the supplementary birth certificate of an adopted child must be in the name of the adoptive parents, one of whom must be a female, named as the mother and the other of whom must be a male, named as the father." Hence, only one parent in a same-sex couple relationship can be listed on their adoptive child's supplementary birth certificate.
But don't think for a second that same-sex couple adoptions are uncommon in a more conservative state like Texas. As we've reported in an earlier blog post, gay couples in Southern States are the most likely to raise children -- with Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas being home to the most same-sex couples raising children.
Related Resources:
- Find a Houston Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)
- Legal Issues for Gay and Lesbian Adoption (FindLaw)
- Lesbian and Gay Adoption and Parenting (FindLaw)
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