Opinion ID: 76424
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Challenged Florida Statute

Text: 2 Since 1977, Florida's adoption law has contained a codified prohibition on adoption by any homosexual person. 1977 Fla. Laws, ch. 77-140, § 1, Fla. Stat. § 63.042(3) (2002). 1 For purposes of this statute, Florida courts have defined the term homosexual as being limited to applicants who are known to engage in current, voluntary homosexual activity, thus drawing a distinction between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity. Fla. Dep't of Health & Rehab. Servs. v. Cox, 627 So.2d 1210, 1215 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1993), aff'd in relevant part, 656 So.2d 902, 903 (Fla.1995). During the past twelve years, several legislative bills have attempted to repeal the statute, 2 and three separate legal challenges to it have been filed in the Florida courts. 3 To date, no attempt to overturn the provision has succeeded. We now consider the most recent challenge to the statute.