7. Only traditional families can adopt.
Being single, a gay couple, or above a certain age can sometimes be an obstacle, especially with international programs, but Falker says that in her experience, most domestic birth mothers looking to place their babies for adoption care most about finding a loving, stable home. When Laura and Lynn Melbin-Diniz of Monson, Massachusetts, decided to adopt a baby, their first choice was to go the international route. “But then we found out that most countries won’t let a gay couple adopt,” says Laura. “You have to lie, and we didn’t want to do that.” They began to explore domestic adoption and were open to adopting a non-white baby. Seven months later, they became the parents of a biracial newborn boy. “Our willingness to adopt a baby of a different race or ethnicity was ultimately more significant than the fact that we were a same-sex couple,” says Laura.
