Huffington Magazine Issue 46 | Page 9

DATA Enter HUFFINGTON 04.28.13 The Worst States for Children of Same-Sex Parents Millions of children in the United States are being raised by same-sex parents. Many of them live in states that don’t legally recognize their families or make it difficult for both parents to claim legal ties to them. Washington Montana Oregon Idaho Wyoming New Hampshire North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin Michigan Iowa Nebraska Nevada Utah Colorado California Arizona New Mexico Vermont Rhode Island Massachusetts New York Minnesota Pennsylvania Ohio Illinois Kansas Indiana Kentucky Missouri Oklahoma North Carolina Tennessee South Carolina Arkansas Louisiana Texas West Virginia Virginia Alabama Georgia Mississippi SOURCE: FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL Florida State lacks clear mechanisms that create legal ties to both parents for children born to same-sex couples via donor insemination State lacks clear mechanisms that create legal ties to both parents for children born to same-sex couples via donor insemination AND no legal recognition for samesex couples State lacks clear mechanisms that create legal ties to both parents for children born to samesex couples via donor insemination AND same-sex couples face legal restrictions when petitioning for second-parent adoption Statefalls into ALL THREE of the aforementioned categories, making it one of the six worst states in the U.S. for kids of gay parents Maine Conneticut New Jersey Delaware Maryland