MARRIED GAYS ADOPT CHILDREN

A majority of the Dutch lower house wants to lift the ban on the adoption of foreign children by gay-couples. This is the result of the news of the adoption of a child by the Dutch gay TV-producer and personality Paul de Leeuw of an American child.

Since the introduction of the gay marriage the 1 of April last year, gay couples can adopt Dutch children, but not foreign ones. The lower house did not want the foreign dimension, because they thought no other country would be prepared to cooperate. Since Paul de Leeuw adopted a black child from Pennsylvania, it came out gay people actually can adopt children from the United States of America.

Paul de Leeuw is married, but had to get around the law, by adopting the child on his own name. Because single gays are allowed to adopt foreign children. At the moment three gay couples in Holland have an American adoption child.

Dutch members of the lower house say that when it is possible anyway, the rules should be changed towards the existing practice.. The rule should be as follows: it is allowed except when the other country does not want it. When the law is changed the gay couples will still be limited in adopting foreign children, because the organisations managing the adoptions, do not want to mediate for gay couples.

They are afraid that the adoption-countries will say: 'if you introduce such weird ideas, we will break off the relations with your organisation'. One of the gays that adopted a child from the United States of America is furious: 'It is only because of stage fright'. A background story on gay couples and their adopted children. more features

January 7, 2002