Tallahassee, Fla., Sep 22, 2010 / 17:56 pm
After the 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday to overturn Florida's ban on homosexual couples adopting children, critics voiced concern stating that the presence of both a mother and a father are “not optional non-essentials in the lives of children.”
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced on Wednesday that the ban on adoptions by same-sex couples will cease immediately after the 3rd District Court of Appeals upheld a 2008 ruling by a Miami-Dade judge. According to the Associated Press (AP), the judge found "no rational basis" for the ban when she approved the adoption of two young brothers by a man named Martin Gill and his same-sex partner.
"I'm very pleased with the ruling on behalf of the Gills," said Gov. Crist on Sept 21. "It's a great day for children. Children deserve a loving home."
However, pro-family group Liberty Council reacted to the news on Wednesday and issued a statement saying that under “Florida law, adoption is a privilege and not a right and, as such, the state may make classifications in the adoption arena that may be constitutionally suspect in other areas. The decision to adopt a child is not a private decision but a public act.”