In what might become a watershed moment for same-sex couples looking to adopt, a Miami couple has vowed to fight to the bitter end to change a state law allowing them to become foster parents.
White House Easter Invite Puts Egg On State's Face
President Obama made a major show of support for a North Miami family fighting the state's ban on gay adoption by inviting them to Easter on the front lawn.
A homosexual Miami couple has officially adopted two brothers in a case that overturned Florida's three-decade ban on gay adoptions.
Martin Gill and his partner were the boys' foster parents for six years before the adoption was finalized Wednesday.
“We are thrilled that after so many years, we are officially a family in the eyes of the law,” Gill said Wednesday. “All children deserve a permanent, loving home. This is a happy day.”
Gill and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state, calling the ban unconstitutional. The 3rd District Court of Appeal agreed in a ruling last year. The state decided not to appeal.
The prohibition was enacted in 1977 and court records indicate it's the only law of its kind in the United States.
The Department of Children and Families changed its forms so adoptive parents aren't asked if they're homosexuals.
