FranceLink

Highest French court grants adoption rights to married lesbian couples

The Cour de Cassation ruled that children born to a woman through medically assisted reproduction can be adopted by her female spouse.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

France’s highest court has ruled that married lesbian couples are allowed to adopt their spouse’s child born through in vitro fertilization or other medically assisted reproduction, reports LGBTQnation.

The Cour de Cassation’s ruling is a consequence of the legalization of same-sex marriage in France last year.

France allows assisted reproduction only for heterosexual couples who have been together at least two years. The restriction has sent many gay couples abroad – many of them going to neighbouring Belgium or Spain to have access to fertility treatment.

Upon return to France, French law recognized only the birth mother as the legal parent.

The court ruled Tuesday that married lesbians may adopt children born by their partners through assisted reproduction performed outside of France.

Read more of this AP report published by LGBTQnation.