Gay adoption by legal couples has become a growing controversy over the past decade, impacting the lives of many children and families. Most states allow gays and lesbians to adopt individually but do not allow them to adopt as a legally recognized couple. In 1976, the American Psychological Association declared that “the sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation…of birth or prospective adoptive or foster parents should not be the sole or primary variable considered in custody or placement cases.” . Historically, the benefits of gay adoption have been recognized, but have not yet been legalized. However, adoption by same-sex couples should be legalized to offer children a new option for a family environment, to guarantee couples the right to have children and a family of their own, and because they have the same ability to positively raise their children simply like heterosexual couples do. With countless children living in temporary foster homes or orphanages, allowing gay adoption would decrease the number of children living in such undesirable situations. There has been a recent trend towards legalizing gay adoption, but most countries do not allow it. Over the past four years, Uruguay became the first country in Latin America to allow gay couples to adopt children together. Other countries follow the same path, such as the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden, but the United States has not yet implemented this transition (in question: Gay adoption). “The best interests of the child” has been the watchword regarding government decisions for centuries (Dickerson). With the theme of gay adoption, the best interests of the child are about providing a home and family environment for children who may not... half of paper... rentals can be the best parents." WordsSideKick .com TechMedia Network, January 15, 2012. Web. February 15, 2014. .Parker, Jeff. “Judges Leave Fla. Gays Adoption Ban Florida Today,” 2002. Web. Savage, David G. and Maura Dolan. “Experts Defend Gay Parenting.” 2013, April 6: A.1 Web, November 22, 2013. .Sioco, Maria C. “What Makes a Family? A closer look at gay adoption. "Children's Voice Online. Np, November 2009. Web. February 18. 2014. .