Colombian Court Approves Adoption by American Gay Man

[William769]

In a landmark decision, Colombia’s highest constitutional court has ruled in favor of a gay American man whose adoption of two orphaned boys in the country sparked a national debate.

Chandler Burr, a journalist and former scent critic for New York Times, won custody of the two boys after the country’s Corte Constitutional ruled that family welfare officials "cannot rely on appearances, preconceptions or prejudices" in deciding adoption cases. The ruling could have a far-reaching impact on the rights of LGBT individuals seeking to adopt children in the country.

As Advocate.com reported earlier this year on the adoption battle:

The fight over Jose and Angel Pinto Sierra has been an epic one. On March 30, 2011, Burr was barred by an official with the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) from traveling to the U.S. with the boys, now legally named Brian, 13, and Joseph, 9, after he disclosed that he is gay. The boys had been abandoned by their biological parents and had been transferred into state custody a few years earlier.

http://www.advocate.com/news/world-news/2012/05/24/colombian-court-rules-favor-american-gay-man-adoption-case

For some reason, this story just makes me damn proud

[WillParkinson]

1. Love is what it takes to make a family...

I wish everyone understood that.

Good night my daughter Sleep tight, my son
The world is full of injustices Of which you know none
I wish that I could shelter you So you'd never have to see
The ways in which some folks have made An outlaw out of me

Good night, my precious Sweet dreams, my little one
While the lawyers and the courts decide What is to be done
I wish that you could tell them all, When they dare to question me,
That we're every bit the model Of a perfect family

It's not the pot that grows the flower, It's not the clock that slows the hour
The definition's plain for anyone to see Love is all it takes to make a family
Good night, my child So innocent, so young When they start teaching you to hate me I pray you won't succumb
To prejudice and bigotry To ignorance and shame
Because I'm proud of who I am And hope you'll feel the same

--Love is all it takes: Romanovsky & Phillips