ATLANTA — A federal appeals court upheld Florida’s law prohibiting homosexual adoption Jan. 28, unanimously ruling that the state has a legitimate interest in seeking to place children in homes with mothers and fathers. In a 3–0 decision, an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled that the 1977 adoption law does not violate homosexuals’ rights under the U.S. Constitution.
The case involved several homosexual couples who were seeking to adopt children they had raised as foster parents. They argued that the law violated their right to privacy and their right to equal protection under the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment.
The court ruled that adoption is a privilege, not a right. The decision likely will be appealed, either to the full court or the Supreme Court.
Florida, Mississippi and Utah are the only states that prohibit same-sex couples from adopting. Florida’s law is considered the toughest because it also prevents homosexual singles from adopting children. (TAB)
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