Supreme Court Says Georgia Must Recognize Lesbian Mother’s Adoption

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision to not recognize a lesbian woman’s adoption of three children in Georgia. The high court did not even bother to hear oral arguments in the case, V.L. v. E.L., The Washington Post reports, citing the requirement for state courts to recognize legitimate rulings by other states.

The plaintiff, identified in court papers only as V.L., was in a relationship with E.L., the woman who gave birth to the children. According to the Supreme Court’s decision, they both agreed to give V.L. legal status as the children’s mother by having her adopt them, and they went through the adoption process in Georgia. After V.L. and E.L. separated, E.L. wouldn’t let V.L. be with the children, and V.L. asked the court in Alabama, where they were living at the time, to use the adoption to enforce her rights. The Alabama Court had ruled that Georgia violated its own law in allowing the adoptions. Therefore, they stated, V.L. did not have a right to custody or even visitation with her children.

The Supreme Court reversed the decision, stating that Georgia properly granted the adoption, so Alabama must recognize it. There was no dissenting opinion.

[h/t The Daily Beast, image via Shutterstock]