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The ACLU is committed to defending the rights of LGBT parents, not only in custody and visitation arrangements but also by challenging discriminatory laws that restrict the rights of LGBT people to parent.

> ACLU Urges Florida Appellate Court To Affirm Ruling Striking Florida Law Barring Gay People From Adopting

> ACLU Urges Federal Appeals Court To Require Louisiana To Issue Birth Certificate To Adopted Child Of Gay Couple

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Press Releases view all

Montana High Court Affirms Rights Of Lesbian Parent And Her Children (10/07/2009)
HELENA, MT - The Montana Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a lesbian must be treated as a mother to the two children that she raised with her partner of 10 years. The ACLU, which represented the mother, applauds the decision giving children the right to maintain relationships with both their parents after a break-up.

Tennessee Appeals Court Unanimously Upholds Rights Of Lesbian Mom (09/21/2009)
NASHVILLE - A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has unanimously ordered a trial court to reconsider a ban preventing a divorced mom from having her partner of 10 years and her own children stay overnight at her home at the same time. The trial court had imposed the so-called "paramour clause" on the lesbian couple even though the psychologist who performed the custodial evaluation in the case found the partner to be a positive influence in the children's lives. The American Civil Liberties Union represented Angel Chandler in her appeal of the restriction.

ACLU Urges Florida Appellate Court To Affirm Ruling Striking Florida Law Barring Gay People From Adopting (08/26/2009)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union appeared before a Florida appellate court today to urge the court to let stand an earlier ruling striking down Florida’s law barring lesbians and gay men from adopting.

Tides Foundation Awards $150,000 to ACLU of Florida to End State's Gay Adoption Ban (07/23/2009)
MIAMI - The Tides Foundation's State Equality Fund has awarded a $150,000 grant to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida and its Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Advocacy Project to defend its recent trial court victory ending Florida's ban on adoption by gays and lesbians, and to educate Floridians about the case. The grant funds will pay some of the significant costs of defending the judgment on appeal and of conducting a grass-roots public awareness campaign.

Legal Documents In ACLU Challenge To Gay Adoption Ban Made Public (07/16/2009)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the ACLU national LGBT Project today announced that all of the briefs filed in the ACLU's lawsuit to overturn Florida's ban on gay adoption have been made public. The court approved the release documents, which were sealed in accordance with normal procedure in adoption cases, in response to a motion by Miami attorney Timothy H. Crutchfield on behalf of Wire Magazine seeking public access to the briefs because it is a case of public importance.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Publications

Too High a Price: The Case Against Restricting Gay Parenting (11/13/2006)

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Legal Documents view all

Kulstad v. Maniaci - Opinion (10/06/2009)

Chandler v. Barker - Appeals Court Judgment (09/18/2009)

In re: Gill - State's Reply Brief (08/06/2009)

Adar v. Smith - Amicus Brief (07/07/2009)

In re: Gill - Amicus Briefs in Support of Martin Gill and the Children (06/19/2009)
Amicus briefs filed in support of Martin Gill and/or the children in his care in our challenge to Florida's gay adoption ban, In re: Gill.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Legislative Documents view all

Coalition Letter to the House Urging Co-sponsorship of the Respect for Marriage Act (09/11/2009)

Testimony of Jill G. Joseph, MD, PhD, at a Oversight Hearing on "Legal Threats to Traditional Marriage: Implications for Public Policy" before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the House Judiciary Committee (04/22/2004)

Letter to the House on D.C. Appropriations Vote (07/29/1999)

Letter to the House on D.C. Appropriations Debate (07/27/1999)

Lesbian and Gay Rights During President Clinton's Second Term: A Working Paper Published by the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights (01/15/1999)

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Resources view all

In re: Gill - About the American College of Pediatricians (07/16/2009)

In re: Gill - Summary of Scientific Evidence (11/25/2008)
Summary of expert testimony on the scientific evidence regarding gay parents and their children.

In re: Gill - About the Experts (11/25/2008)
Excerpts about the expert witnesses, from the proposed findings of fact in our challenge to Florida's anti-gay adoption law.

In re: Gill - Summary of Scientific Evidence (11/25/2008)
Summary of expert testimony on the scientific evidence regarding gay parents and their children.

In re: Gill - About the Experts (11/25/2008)
Excerpts about the expert witnesses, from the proposed findings of fact in our challenge to Florida's anti-gay adoption law.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Fact Sheets view all

Kulstad v. Maniaci - Background and Timeline (04/17/2009)

Kulstad v. Maniaci - Frequently Asked Questions (04/17/2009)

Cole v. Arkansas - Profiles of our Plaintiffs and their Families (12/30/2008)
Profiles of the plaintiffs in Cole v. Arkansas, the challenge to the recently passed ban of adoptions by unmarried couples.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Act 1 (12/05/2008)

Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Act 1 (12/05/2008)

Lesbian Gay Rights : Parenting : Court Cases view all

Kulstad v. Maniaci - Case Profile (04/16/2009)

Cole v. Arkansas - Case Profile (12/30/2008)
Challenges Arkansas Act 1, a ballot initiative passed in 2008 making it illegal for unmarried people who cohabit with a partner to adopt or foster children.

Chandler v. Barker - Case Profile (12/23/2008)
An appeal of the imposition of a "paramour" restriction on the custody rights of a mother in a lesbian relationship in Tennessee.

In re Hadaway - Case Profile (05/02/2007)

Johnston v. MO Dept. of Social Services - Case Profile (05/03/2005)
The Missouri Department of Social Services turned down Lisa Johnston's application to become a foster parent because she's a lesbian.

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