Florida same-sex adoption ban struck down

MIAMI, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A Miami child welfare judge ruled Tuesday that a Florida law banning adoption by same-sex couples is unconstitutional, observers said.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the law had "no rational basis," WFOR-TV, Miami, reported. Her decision supported efforts by Frank Gill, 47, and his unidentified partner to adopt two young boys they have been raising as foster children since 2004.

The ruling is expected to set off a protracted legal battle pitting state child welfare officials against civil libertarians. Analysts told The Miami Herald that Lederman's decision is likely to be appealed to the Florida Supreme Court.

Witnesses for the Florida Department of Children and Families testified that children raised by same-sex parents are at significantly higher risk of mental illness and substance abuse than those raised by heterosexual couples. Such children, they say, also face social stigmas from a disapproving culture, the Herald reported.

But social scientists testifying for Gill said such children have no disadvantages compared with their peers.