BOGOTA鈥擜 US citizen whose two newly adopted children were taken away after Colombian authorities learned he was gay, has been told that he will be allowed to adopt them after all, news reports here said Tuesday.
Colombia鈥檚 Institute for Family Welfare, after reviewing the case, ruled that Chandler Burr鈥檚 sexual orientation could not be used as grounds to nullify his adoption of the two boys, ages 10 and 13.
鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly happy,鈥 Burr, a former journalist with the New York Times, told reporters here late Monday.
Burr added that he hoped to be back in the United States with his sons by New Year鈥檚.
Burr finalized the adoption process for the two boys in March and was preparing to depart with them for the United States the following month when authorities here blocked his departure after he casually mentioned to adoption authorities that he is gay.
Officials launched what they said was a 鈥渞igorous鈥 review of the circumstances of the adoption, finally issuing a ruling on Monday.
Legal experts noted a loophole in Colombia鈥檚 law, saying that while it forbids gay couples from adopting, it says nothing about single gay men such as Burr.