Gay couple becomes first in Germany to adopt child

Two men in Berlin have become the first same-sex couple in Germany to adopt a child, a gay rights organization said Tuesday.

Michael and Kai Korok married a day after gay marriage became legal in Germany on October 1.

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The German parliament approved gay marriage in June, giving same-sex couples the same tax advantages and adoption rights as other couples.

The Koroks have been the foster parents of 2-year-old Maximilian since his birth, and applied to officially adopt him shortly after their marriage.

A court in Berlin's Kreuzberg district approved their application on Tuesday, said the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany (LSVD), making the men Maximilian's joint legal guardians.

"It is a wonderful feeling to be jointly registered as parents," said Michael Korok, calling adoption rights a "huge win" for same-sex couples in Germany.

Campaign issue

Germany had recognized same-sex civil unions since 2001, but Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservatives had blocked a gay marriage vote until earlier this year.

Merkel said her reversal on the issue came after she met a lesbian couple in her district who had fostered eight children.

Critics said she allowed the vote to proceed in order to remove gay marriage as campaign issue for her opponents ahead of September's national election.

cw/cmk (AFP, dpa)