Lesbian mother vs. convicted murderer father is the subject of an upcoming documentary

I spend a lot of time writing about gay couples having children and their ensuing legal issues. But I never forget about the gay and lesbian parents who defend their right to their children against heterosexual ex-spouses or other relatives. Filmmakers are preparing a documentary about one such case, Ward v. Ward, decided in Florida in the mid-1990's. Mary Ward lost custody of her 12-yr-old

Florida agency ends ban on gay adoptions

The Florida Department of Children and Families has responded to last week's ruling that the state's ban on adoptions by gay men and lesbians is unconstitutional, and the news is great.In a two page memo dated the day after the ruling, Alan Abramowitz, State Director of the Office of Family Safety, announced that the Department has submitted to the legislature language repealing the statute. "

Florida appeals court finds ban on gay and lesbian adoptions unconstitutional

In a long-awaited ruling, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, in In re Adoption of X.X.G. & N.R.G. (usually referred to as the Gill case), has declared the state's ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians unconstitutional. The three-judge panel unanimously upheld the trial court's ruling and held that the ban violated the Florida constitution's guarantee of equal protection. The court

Another Florida judge declares the state's gay adoption ban unconstitutional

The judges who handle adoptions know a lot about the needs of children. I am sure when Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Maria Sampedro-Iglesia reviewed Vanessa Alenier's petition to adopt an infant cousin, she knew the placement was in the child's best interests. The only thing standing between the judge and doing the right thing for that child was Florida's total ban on any adoption by a person who is "

News from Lavender Law -- the latest adoption/foster parenting bans

It's not called Lavender Law anymore, but I can't help myself. (Sixth Ave will never be Avenue of the Americas to me...). Its official name is the National LGBT Bar Association Career Fair & Conference, but by any name this is the annual gathering of LGBT lawyers, law students, and law profs (and some straight advocates who work on our issues). This year's conference is taking place in