Adoption laws driving gay couple from Arizona

[racaulk]

Last week, Jeanine, Nichole and Isaac Soterwood left a home they loved, solid careers and a wide circle of friends.

The state of Arizona does not allow them to be a legal family, so the Soterwoods moved from Tucson to California, where Nichole and Jeanine will file papers to become the legal parents of Isaac, who is 22 months old.

<--snip-->

Like most other states, Arizona law does not allow unmarried couples to do what's known as second-parent adoption — when the non-biological parent adopts a partner's child.

Stepparents in heterosexual unions can adopt the children of their spouses in Arizona. Gay couples can be foster parents. And gay people, as long as they are single, can adopt. But couples like the Soterwoods, who can't legally marry here, can't both be parents of a child.

<--snip-->

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/azstar/20051222/lo_azstar/2ndparentcurbsdrivingsamesexcouplefromariz

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Such a culture of life

[IndyOp]

2. My liberal heart doesn't know quite where to land on this....

OF COURSE adoption by gay couples should be legal across the US - that is obvious...

My liberal heart is at least a little happy that Nichole is going to find new employment --> she was "a systems engineer at Raytheon Missile Systems. "I was disappointed to leave and my co-workers at Raytheon were disappointed. But they understood that family comes first."

[Maat]

6. I agree!

Before I saw the light, I worked at General Dynamics in SoCal, at the facility making those missiles that you can carry around in a backpack (Stingers); I was in Accounting and Property.

That was in the 80's.

Rumors were (around town) that those missiles were going to two guys that have been in the news lately, one with the initials, S.H. (he's on trial now, lost his position in government), and O.B.L. (or U.B.L.). Those were rumors out in the public eye, Agent Mike, so I'm not divulging anything inappropriately!

But - I saw the light and became a proud progressive! The change started when I began working with the mentally ill and studying psychology.

I'm glad she is going to be finding new employment too!

Happy Holidays!

[HockeyMom]

3. Small comfort but,

the non-biological partner could be appointed as the legal guardian of the child should something happen to her partner. You can appoint anyone to be the guardian of your children in the case of your incapacitation or death. Yes, you can even by pass relatives if you so desire. I know since I considered this when my kids were younger.

You need to just work on changing the laws there. Still, from what I heard, they are still much better than many other states regarding gays.

My niece and her partner live in Phoenix. My daughter's friend and her partner and kids, and even my own daughter and her partner and kids, are all considering moving to Arizona.

Good luck.

[Ayesha]

4. This is an issue for us

My partner and I want to adopt in a few years, and have to decide where we're going to live based on whether we can do joint or second-parent adoptions there. Since I have a disability, it would be hard for me to adopt as a single parent, and should something happen to my partner, the state might challenge my being named as a guardian in her will, so it's essential that we both have parental rights. We're currently in CA, but most of the state is too expensive to buy the acreage we want, so we're having to look elsewhere. My dad really wants us to move to Asheville, NC since it's fairly near where he's building a house to retire to in SC, but that's not an option for us since there's no second-parent adoption in NC. Arizona and Colorado are other places we'd seriously consider if it weren't for this problem. Right now Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico are on the top of our list, but they're far away from family and that sucks.

[bammertheblue]

5. maybe

Minnesota?
It's a very liberal state, although I am not totally 100% sure about adoption laws.
Good luck, sweetie!

[Ayesha]

9. Minnesota

Too funny...my partner is from Minnesota. We've actually discussed moving there, but neither of us wants to deal with that much snow and cold again (I grew up in Indiana.)

[Maat]

7. Come down to my neck of the woods.

Down here in the Temecula Valley (out here in Southern Cal) - lots of reasonably priced acreage there. We're an hour north of San Diego - inland.

Our land is rising in price a bit; the best land is slightly east and north of here, near the new reservoir, off of Scott Road, east of Lake Elsinore. Great bargains there.

And, as I've told every poor person here, I'm a retired social worker who adopted; there's no discrimination in Adoptions out here!

[Ayesha]

10. How are the attitudes there?

It sounds like a possibility, but what are the people like out there? My partner and I are hippie nature-oriented types, so the L.A. fashion-conscious, celebrity-obsessed culture really rubs us the wrong way. However, for obvious reasons we don't care for ignorant redneck type rural people either. Also, although we're considering beautiful New Mexico, overall we prefer trees and green to desert.

[IndyOp]

8. Can you adopt in CA then move to NC and keep all legal rights?

Just an idea...

[Ayesha]

11. Yes, but

It would be really impractical - we'd have to move twice as we don't have room for a child where we live now. And with four dogs and a wheelchair and a need for housing to accommodate all of that, moving is a complicated process to do once, let alone twice! But yes, and in fact I've heard of couples doing just that. I believe there's something in the Constitution about states having to respect contracts and rulings from other states. For example, Rosie O'Donnell lives in Florida and even though gay adoption is illegal there, her kids are still hers under FL law because she adopted them in another state.