Portugal Expands Adoption Rights for Gay Couples

Portugal's Parliament has passed a law allowing same-sex married couples to adopt their partners' children, but lawmakers rejected legislation granting gay couples the same adoption rights as heterosexuals.

The 230-seat Parliament passed by five votes Friday the center-left Socialist Party's proposal permitting a person in a same-sex marriage to adopt a partner's biological or adopted child.

However, another proposal by the Left Bloc and Green Party that would have let gay partners adopt children together as a married couple was defeated, with 104 votes against, 77 in favor and 21 abstentions.

The Socialist Party used its parliamentary majority in 2010 to pass legislation allowing same-sex couples to wed in civil ceremonies. It lost a general election the following year, and center-right parties now have a majority.