Traditionally, a family is considered to consist of a heterosexual couple and their children, but many forms of family life exist in contemporary society. Homosexuals also form family units, either as single parents or couples, with children, who are included in the family through various circumstances. Many have children born into previous families (Johnson and Piore, 2004) and many have children born from a previous heterosexual marriage. A gay man or woman or lesbian couple may seek the help of a surrogate mother to have a baby while other gay men adopt or foster children (Sherman, 2002; Virtel, 2007). Surveys indicate that between 45% and 80% of lesbians and between 40,100 and 60% of gay men are currently in a stable relationship, and many are in long-term cohabiting relationships (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2003). Census data shows that 33% of female lesbian and bisexual couples and 22% of male gay and bisexual couples are raising children. Most laws regarding adoption by gay parents are ambiguous, and in many cases, gay people must adopt as individuals rather than as couples (Galst & Hilty, 2003; S. Ryan et al., 2004). In 1998, New Jersey became the first state to allow partners in gay and lesbian couples to jointly adopt children, and California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York , Pennsylvania and Vermont have since passed laws allowing such adoptions. Nine states – Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin – have various laws prohibiting adoption by same-sex individuals and/or couples ( National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011). Some people have questioned the ability of homo...... middle of paper ......p supports gay parents. Contemporary Sexuality, 36, 10. Galst, L. and Hilty, J. (2003). Lesbians with strollers: The gaybie boom on wheels. Ms., Spring, 17-18.Johnson, D. and Piore, A. (2004). A house in two worlds. Newsweek, October 18, 53-54. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (April 23, 2003). "National Gay and Lesbian Task Force denounces Santorum's bigoted language". Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr534_042303.National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (2011). Adoption Laws in the United States Retrieved from http://www.theTaskForce.org.Ryan S., Perlmutter, S., & Groza, V. (2004). Coming out of the closet: Opening of agencies to gay and lesbian adoptive parents. Social Work, 49, 85-95.Sherman, S. (2002). If our son is happy, what else matters? Newsweek, September 16, 12. Virtel, L. (2007). Make babies. Lawyer, August 28, 36-38.