Romney Gets Facts Wrong on Gay Adoption
When Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney suggested he was in favor of gay adoption and then quickly backtracked, it was widely reported as yet another flip-flop by the former Massachusetts governor.
But Romney also got his facts wrong when he said, "I simply acknowledge the fact that gay adoption is legal in all states but one.''
Not even close. According to the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks state laws relating to gay rights, the District of Columbia and just 18 states -- Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- allow joint adoption by same-sex couples. Same-sex couples have successfully petitioned to adopt in some jurisdictions in Colorado and Minnesota.
Florida's ban on gay adoption was overturned in 2010 after a foster parent and his partner petitioned to adopt two boys that had been in their care for six years.
Romney's mistake reflects his sometimes-awkward efforts to position himself as someone who is conservative enough for Republican voters but not too conservative for independents and Democrats.
UPDATE from the campaign:
But Romney also got his facts wrong when he said, "I simply acknowledge the fact that gay adoption is legal in all states but one.''
Not even close. According to the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks state laws relating to gay rights, the District of Columbia and just 18 states -- Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- allow joint adoption by same-sex couples. Same-sex couples have successfully petitioned to adopt in some jurisdictions in Colorado and Minnesota.
Florida's ban on gay adoption was overturned in 2010 after a foster parent and his partner petitioned to adopt two boys that had been in their care for six years.
Romney's mistake reflects his sometimes-awkward efforts to position himself as someone who is conservative enough for Republican voters but not too conservative for independents and Democrats.
UPDATE from the campaign:
Only one state - Mississippi - explicitly bars same-sex adoption by statute. Miss. Code Sec. 93-17-3(b). Utah is frequently cited as another state that bars same-sex adoption, but that prohibition applies to any cohabitation relationship involving persons of any gender who are not married. And, regardless, the point Gov. Romney is making is that this is a state issue, which is what he thinks it should be.
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