North Carolina Approves Same-Sex Adoption
Posted on Aug 23, 2009 11:49am PDT
On August 19th, A North Carolina appeals court ruled in favor of a same-sex
adoption. The court's ruling stated that a state senator's adoption of her former domestic partner's child could not be voided.
A three-judge panel representing the state Court of Appeals said that while the state's law does not specifically tackle the issue of same-sex adoptions, the law was broad enough to apply to a dispute between Senator Julia Boseman and Melissa Jarrell.
Prior to the proceedings, Boseman had adopted Jarrell's child in 2005. Later, Jarell challenged the adoption and also raised the question of whether same-sex adoptions were legal in the state of North Carolina. On Wednesday, after the ruling, the Raleigh News and Observer said that the court's decision affirms the fact that both lesbian and gay couples adopt in the state of North Carolina, regardless of legal language.
Judge Wanda Bryant said that, "While (state law) does not specifically address same-sex adoptions, these statutes do make clear that a wide range of adoptions are contemplated and permitted, so long as they protect the minor's needs, interests, and rights."
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