A federal judge finds Mississippi’s ban on LGBT adoption is unconstitutional.
Since the Supreme Court of the United States legalized gay marriage last summer, much has changed regarding LGBT adoption in various states across the country. This was not the case, however, with Mississippi.
The Magnolia State was literally the “last state standing” as it relates to having 16-year-old, anti-LGBT adoption legislation that was still on the books…at least until March 31, 2016. We are happy to report that as of this date, an injunction will block Mississippi from trying to adhere to this law.
Here’s more information on the developments from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC):
“SAME-SEX ADOPTION FOR ALL 50 STATES!
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III in Mississippi declared the state’s ban on adoption by same-sex couples unconstitutional, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling in the historic case Obergefell v. Hodges. The federal lawsuit, Campaign for Southern Equality v. Mississippi Department of Human Services, challenged the constitutionality of a statutory ban on adoption by same-sex couples in Mississippi — the only state in the nation that still had an absolute ban preventing same-sex couples from adopting regardless of their qualifications. Roberta Kaplan, the lead lawyer in Windsor v. United States, the Supreme Court case that led to the demise of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in 2012, represented the Mississippi plaintiffs along with Robert McDuff of the Mississippi-based law firm McDuff & Byrd. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four same-sex couples seeking to adopt or foster children in Mississippi: Kari Lunsford and Tinora Sweeten-Lunsford; Jessica Harbuck and Brittany Rowell; Donna Phillips and Janet Smith; and Kathryn Garner and Susan Hrostowski.”