Fair-minded citizens in Taiwan ask to ease adoption regulation for gay couples

Equal rights activists in Taiwan have asked adoption agencies and the government to relax regulations on adoption and artificial insemination so that gay couples and unmarried women can build families.

According to the Taipei Times: “Although the Civil Code and the Children and Juveniles Welfare Act only stipulate that a court rule on an adoption case based on an evaluation of an adoptive parent’s personal character, economic status, family condition and childcare experience in the past, many of the rulings are still made based on marriage status or sexual orientation. A lesbian’s application to adopt her sister’s child was rejected by a court in Taoyuan County two years ago because of her sexual orientation, Les Hand Association vice-chairwoman, said during the press conference.”

‘The two sisters had already agreed on the adoption, but it was blocked during the legal process because the judge worried that the child may have a confused sexual orientation if he or she were brought up by a lesbian,’ Hsiao Yi said.

Gay couples can’t turn to technology for a solution either. Unfortunately, the Artificial Reproduction Act says that only a married man and woman are qualified to use artificial insemination.