2 Lesbian Surgeons Receive Mass. High Court’s OK to Adopt Child

A state Supreme Court ruling Friday made a prominent breast cancer surgeon and her lesbian lover the first homosexual couple to win approval from Massachusetts to adopt a child.

In a 4-3 decision, the court said two unmarried women it identified only as “Susan” and “Helen,” may jointly adopt “Tammy,” a 5-year-old girl they have raised since birth.

Their attorney, Katherine Triantafillou, later confirmed that the couple was Dr. Susan Love and her lover of more than 10 years, Dr. Helen Cooksey, also a surgeon. Despite the wording of the ruling, the women had no reluctance about being identified, their lawyer said. They have held positions on the Harvard Medical School faculty and now live in California, the lawyer said.

Tammy was conceived by Love through artificial insemination from Cooksey’s biological cousin.

The women’s relatives, as well as teachers, religious leaders from their church and neighbors, testified that the couple were ideal parents, and endorsed their adoption request. The state Department of Social Services also recommended that the adoption be approved.

Central to the case was the fact that the two are not married. Massachusetts, like all other states, does not recognize same-sex marriages. But a majority of the court said there is nothing in state law preventing joint adoption by a homosexual couple.

Triantafillou said other states allowing such adoptions include California, Alaska, Vermont, New York, Washington and the District of Columbia.

A similar case in Virginia had a different outcome this week when a judge ruled that a lesbian’s relationship with her lover made her unfit to raise her 2-year-old son. That judge awarded custody of the boy to his grandmother.