Antigay Chinese
rules cause drop in Massachusetts adoptions

Policies aimed primarily at keeping Chinese children out of the homes of same-sex couples have contributed to a 6% drop in the number of adoptions in Massachusetts in the last year. The University of Massachusetts Center for Adoption Research found that the adoption of Chinese babies in the state has declined by 17%, The Boston Globe reports. Overall there were 161 fewer adoptions in Massachusetts in 2004 than the year before, the center found. While researchers pinpointed several factors that contributed to the drop, they determined that the policies of the Beijing government had the largest impact. In response to publicity about Chinese children being placed with same-sex couples, the government now makes all prospective parents sign a statement pledging that they are not gay or lesbian. Officials have also decided that no more than 8% of adopted Chinese babies will go to single parents. Lillian Zhang, executive director of the Brookline-based China Adoption With Love, said the Chinese policies hit Massachusetts hard because the state has a large number of single women and gays and lesbians. Researchers also found that the sluggish economy may in part explain the dip. The number of adoptions in the state dropped to 2,392 in 2004 from 2,553 in 2003. (AP)