LGBT Adoption - Legal Status By Country/jurisdiction

Legal Status By Country/jurisdiction

Full joint adoption by same-sex couples is currently legal in the following countries:

  • Argentina (2010)
  • Belgium (2006)
  • Brazil (2010)
  • Canada (1999 onward, depending on province)
  • Denmark (2010)
  • Iceland (2006)
  • Netherlands (2001)
  • Norway (2009)
  • South Africa (2002)
  • Spain (2005)
  • Sweden (2002)
  • United Kingdom: England and Wales (2005), Scotland (2009) and Northern Ireland (unclear).
  • Uruguay (2009)

Full joint adoption by same-sex couples is currently legal in the following jurisdictions:

  • Australia: Western Australia (2002), Australian Capital Territory (2004), and New South Wales (2010).
  • Mexico: Mexico City (2010) and Coahuila.
  • United States: Rhode Island (1993), District of Columbia (1995), New Jersey (1998), New York (2002), California (2003), Indiana (2006), Maine (2007), Florida (2010), Arkansas (2011), Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, Delaware, Guam

In the following countries, "stepchild-adoption" is permitted, so that the partner in a registered partnership (or unregistered cohabitation in Israel) can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner:

  • Finland (2009)
  • Germany (2004)
  • Greenland (2009)
  • Israel (2005) (Israel allowed overseas adoption and full joint adoption in several cases)

In the following jurisdictions permit "stepchild-adoption" in which onee partner in a civil union can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner:

  • Australia: Tasmania (2004)
  • United States: Pennsylvania (2002), Colorado, Montana

Read more about this topic:  LGBT Adoption

Famous quotes containing the words legal, status, country and/or jurisdiction:

    Courage, then, for the end draws near! A few more years of persistent, faithful work and the women of the United States will be recognized as the legal equals of men.
    Mary A. Livermore (1821–1905)

    Anthropologists have found that around the world whatever is considered “men’s work” is almost universally given higher status than “women’s work.” If in one culture it is men who build houses and women who make baskets, then that culture will see house-building as more important. In another culture, perhaps right next door, the reverse may be true, and basket- weaving will have higher social status than house-building.
    —Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen. Excerpted from, Gender Grace: Love, Work, and Parenting in a Changing World (1990)

    Perhaps you can tell me why in this country nobody ever does anything. Nobody ever writes any music or starts any revolutions or falls in love. All anybody ever does is to get drunk and tell smutty stories.
    John Dos Passos (1896–1970)

    The putting into force of laws which shall secure the conservation of our resources, as far as they may be within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, including the more important work of saving and restoring our forests and the great improvement of waterways, are all proper government functions which must involve large expenditure if properly performed.
    William Howard Taft (1857–1930)