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Dutch Proposal Allows Gays and Lesbians to Adopt

Gay and lesbian rights were improved in the Netherlands Friday when the Dutch Cabinet approved a plan that would allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. The plan has secured strong support in parliament, where it will be voted on early next year.

The proposal restricts adoptions to Dutch children due to the incongruity of laws in other countries.

Gay and lesbian couples seeking to adopt would not be required to obtain a legal marriage, but must have been together for at least three years and must care for the child for one year prior to adoption.

At the beginning of this year, the Dutch parliament gave same-sex couples the right to legal marriage, and provided them with the same pension, social security, and inheritance rights as all other married couples.

The Netherlands has also permitted gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military since the 1970s.

Seventy percent of Dutch people surveyed believed homosexuals could make good parents.

Sources:

Nandonet and AP - November 15, 1998

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