Uruguay clears way for adoptions by gay couples over objection of Roman Catholic Church

Uruguay clears way for gay adoptions

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguay is clearing the way for homosexual couples to adopt children.

The Senate’s final approval Wednesday makes Uruguay the first country in Latin America to allow gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to adopt.

The executive branch now will decide when the law takes effect. The change is supported by socialist President Tabare Vazquez’s Broad Front coalition, while the Roman Catholic Church has voiced strong disapproval.

Under Vazquez, Uruguay already legalized gay civil unions and ended a ban on homosexuals in the military.

The law gives judges less say over adoptions and shifts decision making to the national Institute of the Children and Adolescents.