The end of Florida’s gay adoption ban allows 100 new families to grow in South Florida

For 33 years, Florida barred gays and lesbians from adopting. That changed last fall, when Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal in Miami ruled the law unenforceable and the state declined to challenge it. Since then, family law attorneys estimate more than 100 gay people in South Florida have pending adoption cases. After five years of legal battles, Miami’s Martin Gill and his partner won the right to adopt their two sons. The family has since attended a holiday celebration at the White House, and met President Obama. They’re part of the leaders who helped Florida keep pace with the rest of society regarding adoption. When the boys arrived at Gill’s home in December 2004 4-year-old John was wearing a dirty adult-sized T-shirt and sneakers that were four sizes too small and worn like flip-flops. Both he and his brother had scalp ringworm and 4-month-old James had an ear infection. John did not speak, couldn’t hold a pencil and had never seen a book before.

[via South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com]