Court gives government 2 months to reassess gay adoption policy

The High Court of Justice grants the government two months to reassess its policy toward adoption by same-sex couples.

The next hearing in an appeal on the issue is pushed off from this coming Thursday to September 19.

The delay was requested by Welfare Minister Haim Katz after state attorneys representing his ministry revealed to the High Court on Sunday that welfare agencies prioritized heterosexual couples over homosexual ones when deciding to allow adoptions — in order to save the adopted children the social stigma of growing up in a same-sex home.

The argument caused a public outcry, with activists, lawmakers and Katz himself coming out against the policy.

Katz requested the delay “so that the professional services can reexamine the issue and bring all the relevant factors to bear,” he said in a letter to the court.