This has been the winter of civil rights, it seems. On Monday the Idaho supreme court paved the way for same sex couples to adopt children legally.
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/...
Rene and Darcy Drake Simpson filed suit so that Darcy Drake Simpson could adopt the children that they had and raised together. The ruling was released on Monday.
Justice Jim Jones said,
“In light of the unambiguous language in I.C. 16-1501 that allows for ‘any adult person residing in and having residence in Idaho’ to adopt ‘any minor child,’ and because chapter 15 contains no provisions that limit adoption to those who are married, Idaho’s adoption statutes plainly allow Jane Doe to adopt John Doe and John Doe I.”
There are also 4 ongoing lawsuits in Idaho to challenge the state's anti-gay marriage law and an active effort to get the state legislature to take up employer non-discrimination legislation.
In Utah, any non-married couple is disallowed from adopting together, making such a ruling impossible (until the stay on gay marriage is lifted)... But apparently our more "progressive" (ha ha) brothers and sisters to the north did not have a similar law, paving the way for this decision. Utahns always took solace in the fact that we're not as conservative as Idaho, but this ruling challenges that assumption!
Congratulations, Idaho!