Colorado

A second parent adoption is a legal procedure that allows a same-sex parent to adopt a partner’s biological or adoptive child without terminating the legal rights of the first parent. States must honor second-parent adoptions from other states.

Second-parent adoption is authorized in California by statute - and where appellate courts have ruled that the state adoption law permits second-parent adoption.

A statute is a law passed by a legislature. An appellate court is about appeals. It has the power to review the judgment of another lower court or tribunal.

For the second time in recent months, children with lesbian parents have been denied enrollment in Catholic elementary school. Most recently, St. Paul Elementary School in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an 8-year old who happens to have gay parents. This follows a similar situation in Boulder, CO.

The Denver Post makes note of a marketing campaign designed to educate Colorado's GLBT population regarding new civil rights protections in the state.

The Denver Post reports that a bill narrowly passed its first test that would make domestic partners of Colorado state employees eligible for coverage under state group-benefit plans.

The bill, Senate Bill 88 from Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, passed out of a Senate legislative committee by a 4-3 party-line vote after spirited debate.

"It is the right policy," Veiga told committee members. "It is the right time."

Proud Parenting member - Todduscraig - is ecstatic in his latest blog post. And rightly so. His family's adoption story started over two and a half years ago. They jumped into action as soon as the Democratically controlled Colorado legislature and governor signed-off on second parent adoption.

His blog entry begins:

Proud Parenting member - Todduscraig - has been blogging about his family's quest for an approved second parent adoption in Colorado.

In his first post, he writes:

"My husband AJ is going to the court house today to begin the process for second parent adoption. The democratic legislature in Colorado just last year passed a law that allows for any second parent to adopt, which include gay couples."

Colorado made a lot of progress in the month of August. Once a target of boycotts by lesbian and gay groups it has become the 10th state to allow gay couples to adopt - and the 20th to extend civil rights protections to gays and lesbians.