The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that Louisiana has to recognize the New York same-sex adoption of a Louisiana child even though Louisiana does not itself grant same-sex adoptions.
Last October I talked about Adar v. Smith, the Fifth Circuit case where a couple that went to New York to legally adopt a baby born in Louisiana couldn't get an updated birth certificate from Louisiana. Back then, Louisiana said it didn't have to recognize adoptions from other states that it wouldn't perform itself.
The Court today said otherwise.
Why is This Case Important?
Because it's about how the full faith and credit clause applies to gay rights. The full faith and credit clause is the part of the U.S. Constitution that makes one state recognize the judgments of another state.
Sound familiar? You often hear about how states that don't allow gay marriage should have to recognize gay marriages from states that do. Instead, states without gay marriage give a similar argument to the one Louisiana gave in Adar v. Smith--that they shouldn't have to recognize marriages that they themselves would not allow.
http://www.gaycoupleslawblog.com/