Uruguay Gay Adoptions: Not So Fast?

The celebrated new law that was thought to give gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt in Uruguay may not provide that right, some legal experts now say.

When the law passed last week, proponents said it would make Uruguay the first country in Latin America to allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. However, a closer inspection of the law's language casts doubt on that conclusion, according to the Associated Press.

"Nowhere in the law does it specifically say that homosexual couples have a right to adopt," reported the AP. "And in some places, it suggests otherwise -- for example, by specifying how the child should take a mother and father's surnames."

Experts say that because there is no explicit mention of adoption by gay couples, subjective interpretation could result in legal problems for couples wishing to adopt. Others say the fact that same-sex couples may legally join in civil unions, which are covered under the new law, will resolve any doubts.

The law awaits signature by President Tabare Vazquez.