MORE GAYS AND LESBIANS THAN EVER BECOMING PARENTS: From the Orlando Sentinel

...The Bartons are part of the "gayby boom," an explosion in the number of gays and lesbians who, at peace with themselves and their place in society, are choosing parenthood through adoption or reproductive technology.

"There was a sizable boom in the 1990s, but today it's a groundswell," said April Martin, author of The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook. "There is a seismic shift in the number of gays and lesbians who feel parenting is a real option."

No one knows how many gays are parents, but nearly 168,000 same-sex couples throughout the nation reported children at home during the 2000 census. That's more than a ninefold increase over the 1990 census. In Florida, where nearly 10,000 same-sex couples reported children at home in 2000, the numbers could escalate if a federal court strikes down the state law forbidding gays from adopting children. A ruling is expected soon. ...

Accepted by their families and friends, Woolley, 30, a teacher, and Larrea, 43, a juvenile-court administrator, entered adulthood comfortable with their sexuality. When they met six years ago, they fell in love and settled down, buying a house and pledging to build a life together. Their triplets, born last year with an anonymous donor's sperm, made their family whole. ...

Gays still have children in marriage, but more are starting families of their own, with partners or as single parents. Like the Bartons, who are raising an Ohio relative's twins, many adopt. Even in Florida, they find ways around the state ban, either by going out of state, overseas or, in some cases, lying.

But untold numbers are following the Woolley-Larrea path and bearing children with the same reproductive medical technology that infertile straight couples use: sperm or egg donation, in vitro fertilization and surrogacy.

As a result, same-sex couples are creating some interesting family trees, refocusing the fight for gay rights and redefining the concept of family in much the way divorce, stepparents and half-siblings have.

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