Featured image of post Same-sex couple become first in Taiwan to legally adopt child

Same-sex couple become first in Taiwan to legally adopt child

Wang Chen-wei and Chen Chun-ju sign papers after ruling allows Chen to register as parent alongside Wang

Wang Chen-wei and Chen Chun-ju sign papers after ruling allows Chen to register as parent alongside Wang

Summary

  • A married same-sex couple have become the first in Taiwan to legally adopt a child neither of them are related to, after they challenged local laws in court.
  • It includes a provision that allows someone to adopt a spouse’s biological child, but says nothing about adoption rights if neither partner is the biological parent.
  • The result is that in Taiwan any single person can apply to adopt a child, and any married heterosexual couple can apply together.
  • But for married same-sex couple, the only option is to divorce and one of the couple adopts as a single person.
  • But the solution is simple, Chu added: “We just need to fix one word in the same-sex marriage law, just the word ‘genetic’.