Bill Will Target Ruling in Gay Adoption Case

Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) plans to introduce a bill to overcome a court decision that struck down an administrative procedure used by gays to adopt children of their partners.

A state appeals court ruling on “second-parent adoptions” dealt with a dispute between two lesbians over the adoption of a 2-year-old boy. The San Diego court ruled that the biological mother cannot consent to adoption without relinquishing parental rights.

Gay activists assert that the ruling could leave thousands of children at risk of losing health insurance, inheritances, Social Security payments and other benefits.