Sen. Gillibrand Reintroduces Bill To Override State Bans On LGBT Adoptions

Today Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is reintroducing the Every Child Deserves A Family Act, which would attempt to override state-level bans on gay adoptions by restricting federal funding "for states employing discriminatory practices in adoption and foster care placements based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the foster youth involved."

Seven states currently ban a person in a same-sex couple from adopting his or her partner's children, and gay couples face legal restrictions when petitioning for joint adoption in five states. In all, according to the Family Equality Council, LGBT people face barriers to adopting or fostering children in 39 states.

In the past, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and former Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) have taken the lead on the legislation. But now that Stark is no longer in Congress, the bill has the backing of a bipartisan duo in the House: Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.). Gillibrand is still the lead sponsor in the Senate.