In complete reversal, Israel says it no longer opposes same-sex adoption – Israel News – Haaretz.com

Ministry says it accepts recommendations to allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt, but the Knesset will have to amend existing legislation


The Israeli government reversed its position on adoption by same-sex couples on Tuesday, telling the State Attorney’s Office that it has no objection to the practice.
The Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services Ministry informed the state attorney that it was backing down from its previous position that it would not lift discriminatory procedures, although the Knesset would have to legislate on the issue, Channel 2 news reported.
Contrary to the public’s perception, the ministry said, its original position made no mention of gay and lesbian couples’ parenting abilities “and certainly no negative statement was expressed.” The document also noted that research on same-sex parenting, in addition to the cumulative experience of the adoption agencies as well as hundreds of recommendations to the court to approve adoption by the partner of the child’s biological parent “all indicate beneficial parenting.”
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.809647

Full report: In complete reversal, Israel says it no longer opposes same-sex adoption – Israel News – Haaretz.com

Pope Congratulates, Blesses Gay Couple on the Baptism of Their Adopted Children – Bondings 2.0

Pope Francis, through an aide, has sent his congratulations and apostolic blessing to a legally married Brazilian gay couple on the occasion of the baptism of their three adopted children.

According to Business Monkey News (the only immediately available English language news story), Toni Reis and David Harrad received a letter from Monsignor Paolo Borgia, advisor to the Secretary of State Vatican, which read in part:

“Pope Francisco wishes you congratulations, calling for his family abundance of divine graces, to live constantly and faithfully the condition of Christians.”

Read more:  Bondings 2.0

Green light for gays to adopt stepchildren – SWI swissinfo.ch

Homosexuals should be allowed to adopt the children of a partner, agree most Swiss parliamentarians. Non-married, cohabiting couples should also have the right to adopt stepchildren.

These changes to Swiss adoption law were passed in the House of Representatives on Monday. The legislation had already been approved by the Senate.

Current law restricts the adoption of stepchildren to married couples. The changes will make it possible for all couples, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.

Extending stepchild adoption rights to gay and lesbian parents passed easily in the House – with 127 to 60 votes, and two abstentions.

Source:  SWI swissinfo.ch

Stepchild ad una coppia gay: sentenza storica a Roma 

Il Tribunale per i minorenni di Roma ha emesso un’altra sentenza storica sull’adozione da parte di coppie omosessuali. Ha concesso l’adozione di un bambino, un maschietto, a due padri omosessuali che sono ricorsi ad una inseminazione eterologa, quindi ad una cosiddetta maternità surrogata, in Canada.

I due uomini sono una coppia stabile dai tempi dell’Università: il Tribunale ha quindi ritenuto che fosse nel superiore interesse del bambino stare con i due papà che lo hanno cresciuto ed ha di fatto legalizzato una situazione esistente da tempo. I termini sono infatti scaduti e la sentenza è inappellabile.

Source: Gay.it

Italie : deux hommes accèdent à l’adoption

C’est une « décision historique » que vient de prendre le Tribunal des mineurs de Rome, comme le rapporte Gay.it. Alors que le projet de loi sur l’union civile n’entend pas légiférer sur l’adoption par les couples de même sexe, la Cour vient de reconnaître l’adoption d’un enfant par deux hommes, désormais deux heureux papas.

Ce dernier, un petit garçon, a été conçu par insémination hétérologue (c’est-à-dire par insémination du sperme du donneur) puis par le biais d’une maternité de substitution au Canada.

Les deux hommes formant un couple stable depuis l’université, le Tribunal des mineurs a effectivement estimé qu’il était dans l’intérêt de l’enfant de vivre avec les deux papas qui l’ont élevé.

Source: Italie : deux hommes accèdent à l’adoption

Attitudes shift on gay adoption

Gay dads in the woods

Young Americans increasingly favor adoption rights for gays and lesbians, with three-quarters of females and two-thirds of males now voicing support, according to a new government report.

These statistics from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics reflect a steady rise from 2002, and a significant shift in attitudes across the nation among people 15 to 44 years old.

The report doesn’t explore the reasons for this change. But one gay dad who studies sexuality believes familiarity with gays and lesbians has fostered growingacceptance of gay families.

“We have more visibility, and more people see us as individuals who live nearby, which contributes to more favorable attitudes,” said Sean Massey, an associate professor of women, gender & sexuality studies at Binghamton University in New York. Massey and his husband adopted a son, now 13, in 2002.

The report, released March 17, is based on ongoing surveys about U.S. attitudes regarding marriage, childbearing and sex. About 45,000 people aged 15 to 44 were questioned in 2002, 2006-2010 and 2011-2013.

Source:  – CBS News

Italian Senate Approves Civil Unions for Gay Couples, but Not Adoptions

After months of political infighting, and decades of battles by homosexuals for civil rights, Italy’s Senate on Thursday approved the country’s first law granting legal recognition to civil unions, but stopped short of giving same-sex couples the right to stepchild adoption.

The paring of the adoption provision was crucial to the passage in the Senate, where the bill faced enough resistance that Prime Minister Matteo Renzi tied its fate to a confidence vote on his government, which passed handily, 173 to 71.

The bill also grants some civil rights to unmarried couples, who have historically been largely ignored under current legislation.

The bill, which Mr. Renzi called “historic” on Twitter after sealing agreement over the text on Wednesday, now goes to the lower house of Parliament, where it seems certain to pass in coming weeks.

Source: Italian Senate Approves Civil Unions for Gay Couples, but Not Adoptions – The New York Times

Italian Prime Minister Rebukes Cardinal Over Civil Unions Involvement

Italy’s prime minister rebuked a Catholic cardinal for his involvement in the nation’s debate over civil unions, and suggested his government would call a confidence vote to advance the stalled bill.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticized Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco’s interference after the cardinal, who heads the Italian Episcopal Conference, said the Italian Senate should employ a secret ballot when voting on the civil unions bill. Renzi told state radio RAI:

” ‘Parliament decides whether or not to allow secret votes … not the head of the bishops’ conference. . .What is there to fear from two people who love each other? Why not give these rights to two people who love each other? The majority of the country is clearly in favor of it.’ “

Despite Bagnasco’s claim that a secret ballot would allow legislators a conscience vote, Business Insider reported that a secret ballot “could sabotage the legislation” if legislators vote against their party’s platform.

Prime Minister Renzi is correct that 70% of Italians endorse legal protections for those in same-gender partnerships, but the civil unions bill has been stalled due to disputes over adoption rights. Only 24% of Italians support allowing same-gender partners to adopt each other’s biological children, and even in Renzi’s own center-left Democratic Party there is resistance to legalize adoptions.

Source: Bondings 2.0

The National Review has no idea why anti-gay adoption discrimination is a big deal – AMERICAblog News

Long after Kim Davis’s work as a religious activist is over, religious conservatives will still be fighting for their right to discriminate. And one need look no further than this column in the National Review from David French to get a sense of where they’re going to draw their battle lines.Taking aim at the Atlantic for characterizing a Christian adoption agency’s refusal to match orphans with LGBT couples as “discrimination,” French argues instead that, since these couples all eventually wound up adopting children via other, secular adoption agencies, they weren’t discriminated against at all. As he writes:

Source: The National Review has no idea why anti-gay adoption discrimination is a big deal – AMERICAblog News

France’s Senate passes entire gay marriage, adoption law

The upper level of French parliament has passed the ‘Marriage for All’ bill, which has seen thousands of people protest for and against in the streets.

France_Senate_Luxumbourg_Palace_3

It follows the individual votes on the articles of the bill, in which a majority of the Socialist-led Senate agreed gay marriage and adoptions should become legal on 9 and 10 April.

Both houses of parliament will now take up a second reading to consider minor Senate changes to the bill passed in February by the National Assembly. It will then be sent to President François Hollande to sign into law.

On 10 April, around 5,000 people came together to protest against homophobic violence in Paris, which has escalated due to the widespread protests for and against marriage equality and adoptions for gay couples.

The anti-gay group Manif Pour Tous has announced it will stage another massive rally in a last-ditch effort to demand the bill’s withdrawal and call for a national referendum on 26 May.

In Europe, marriage equality is legal in Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

via Gay Star News.

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