New York state gay adoption boom
New York state is to allow same-sex marriages from July 24th, becoming the most populous state to allow same-sex weddings. Thousands of gay couples are expected to now get married.Lawyers specialising in adoption and adoption agencies are expecting a surge in the number of same-sex couples seeking to adopt.
New York state already allows unmarried couples - both gay and straight to adopt, but being married may help with the adoption process.
Across the US approximately 19,000 gay couples have adopted children, these figures are for adoptions up to 2009, the fgure was 10,700 in 2000.
"I think they will feel more entitled to be a family under the new law," said Susan Watson, director of U.S. adoptions at the Spence-Chapin adoption agency in Manhattan.
For lesbian couples the "adoption" process is altogether easier. After finding a friendly sperm donor who terminates their own rights on the birth of the child, the other partner then adopts her partner's child through what is known as a "second-parent" adoption.
The adoption process varies dramatically between states and many conservative groups are fighting gay and lesbian adoption.
However, the US, like many other countries lacks adopters. There is a real need for real children to have a stable loving family home.
Adoption should be open to all and encouraged by all states equally, so that children (who this is really about) benefit.
In turn society as a whole will benefit, but we can all think about that at a later stage.