opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities.”61
- Accepted May 4, 2006.
- Address correspondence to James G. Pawelski, MS, 141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. E-mail:
The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
↵* It is important to note that Census 2000 counted only same-gender unmarried partners and should not be interpreted as a count of either the entire gay, lesbian, and bisexual population or the whole same-gender partnered population of the United States because the Census survey did not include questions about sexual orientation, did not count single gay and lesbian people, and did not count gay and lesbian couples who do not cohabitate.
↵† Although adoption is commonly thought to be the only way that gays and lesbians become parents, there are many paths to parenthood. Some have biological children from past heterosexual marital and nonmarital relationships, and some pursue surrogacy arrangements or undergo in vitro fertilization or alternative insemination with donor sperm. Where allowed by law, some gay and lesbian people become foster parents, whereas others choose to adopt children through domestic and international, public and private arrangements.
↵‡ Eight states and the District of Columbia have approved second-parent adoption for lesbian and gay parents either by statute or state appellate court rulings, which means that it is granted in all counties statewide. These states include California (as a result of the state's 2001 domestic partner law), Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Some lesbian and gay parents also have been granted second-parent adoptions in 18 other states. In some of these states, adoptions have been granted at the trial-court level, which means that, to date, they have been approved in certain counties only. In other states, there is anecdotal information about these adoptions being granted, although there is a lack of affirmative case law. These 18 states include Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington.
↵§ Ala Code §30-1-19; Alaska Stat §25.05.013; Ariz Rev Stat §25-101; Ark Code Ann §§9-11-107, 109, 208, and 803; Calif Code §308.5; Colo Rev Stat §14-2-104; Del Code Ann §13-101; Fla Stat Ann §741.212; Ga Code Ann §19-3-3.1; Hawaii Rev Stat §572-3; Idaho Code §§32-202 and 209; Ill Comp Stat §750 5/201 and 5/212; Ind Code §31-11-1-1; Iowa Code §595.2; Kan Stat Ann §23-101; Ky Rev Stat Ann §§402.005, .020, and .045; La Civ Code Article 89 and 3520; Me Rev Stat Ann title 19A §701; Mich Stat Ann §§551.1 and .271; Minn Stat §517. 01; Miss Code Ann §93-1-1; Mo Rev Stat §451.022; Mont Code Ann §40-1-401; Neb Const Article I §29; Nev Const Article I §21; NC Gen Stat §51-1.2; ND Cent Code §14-03-01; Okla Stat title 43 §3; Pa Cons Stat Ann 23 §1704; SC Code Ann §20-1-15; SD Codified Laws §§25-1-1 and 25-1-38; Tenn Code Ann §36-3-113; Tex Fam Code Ann §§2.001 and 3.401; Utah Code Ann §§30-1-2 and 30-1-4; Va Code Ann §20-45.2; Wash Rev Code §§26.04.010 and 26.04.020; WVa Code §§48-1-7 and 48-1-18A.
↵‖ Section 1 of Article 4 of the US Constitution reads, “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.”
- ↵US Census Bureau. Selected characteristics from 1990 to supplement Census 2000 SF1—unmarried partner households. Available at: www2.census.gov/census_1990/other/90partners.txt. Accessed March 7, 2006
- ↵US Census Bureau. Married-couple and unmarried-partner households: 2000—Census 2000 special reports. Available at: www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/censr-5.pdf. Accessed March 7, 2006
- ↵US Census Bureau, Population Division, Fertility & Family Statistics Branch. Technical note on same-sex u