Unmarried gay couples are at a legal disadvantage.

SURROGACY FACT: Any unmarried couple, whether gay or heterosexual, runs the risk of one parent having his or her rightful, legal parentage questioned.In some states, the way to avoid this is the legal mechanism of step-parent or second-parent adoption — which is the adoption of a child by a second parent who may not otherwise be considered a legal parent.In fact, we may recommend that same-sex couples avail themselves of second-parent adoption too, as an added legal safeguard.With this important legal tool, LGBT couples need never be at a legal disadvantage in building their families