Another adult adoption story

Readers of this blog know my interest in the historical practice of a gay man or lesbian adopting his/her same-sex partner as a means of creating a legal relationship. Here are my previous posts.Well, this week's Washington Post Sunday "On Love" page features the marriage of Bob Davis, 89, and his partner of 62 years, Henry Schalizki, 90. Deep in the article, Henry reports that he adopted Bob

Following up on the Allertons...and Bayard Rustin

Earlier this month I posted about same-sex couples who solidify a family relationship by having the older partner adopt the younger one. Among other things, I described my experience touring the Allerton Gardens in Kauai, named for Robert Allerton and his "adopted son" John Gregg Allerton, who lived there for many years.When I wrote that post I had yet to read Lucinda Flesson's Waking Up In Eden.

Ever thought of adopting your partner?

Not likely. But in times past -- sometimes not so distant -- that was the mechanism some couples chose to establish a legally recognized relationship. A few appellate court opinions on the subject have made it into family law textbooks. New York ruled famously in the 1980's that such an adoption violated the state's public policy. But many states allow it. Interestingly, two different Florida