International Human Rights Law and Co-Parent Adoption

Abstract

Children would benefit substantially if governments legally recognized same sex marriages and parenting. This article analyzes international human rights law, co-parent adoption, and the recognition of gay and lesbian families. It addresses civil marriage and adoption challenges for same sex families and assesses European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence relating to same-sex adoption. This article considers the international community's efforts to implement the best interest of the child standard concluding that recognition of same sex families is in the best interest of the child and should be facilitated in a timely manner by jurisdictions at all levels.

Keywords: human rights law, co-parent adoption, gay and lesbian families, European Court of Human Rights, jurisprudence, best interest of the child standard, same sex marriages, parent, same sex families, Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, second-parent adoption, human rights campaign, LGBT, marriage

JEL Classification: A13, D1, D31, D63, D7,D81, H2, H4, H5, H51, H6, H7, H8, I, I1, I3, J1, J12, J11, J13, J14, J15, J16,