Continuously Debated, Increasingly Accepted

The truth is, gay and lesbian parents have actually been adopting children for years, but most were done under the guise of being a single - and heterosexual - hopeful parent.

Today, more and more gay couples are foregoing the secrecy and adopting openly as a homosexual couple.

LGBT parents face an uphill battle in many areas of the country. Utah for example, prohibits adoption by couples who are cohabitating but not legally married . Utah does not allow gay marriage, making it almost impossible for a gay couple to jointly adopt a child.

Mississippi will allow a gay individual to adopt but does not allow adoption by same-sex couples while Florida doesn't allow gay adoption at all - whether as an individual or a couple.

And while the laws in other states might not be so clear cut, many areas still have a distinct bias against gay adoption.

Gay couples considering artificial insemination should also remember that guardianship of a child is not automatically assumed by the non-birthing parent as it would be in a heterosexual marriage. A legal adoption by the non-birthing parent would be required to establish a binding, permanent relationship.