Sir Elton John refused permission to adopt Ukrainian toddler

9/15/09-by Paula Brooks

Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish have been denied permission to adopt a 14 month-old HIV positive orphan by the Ukrainian government because according to them, Sir Elton is too old and too gay.

The Ukraine Minister of Family, Youth and Sports Yuriy Pavlenko said yesterday that Ukrainian law only allows for married couples to adopt children and also restricts people who are more than 45 years older than the child from adopting that child.

While John and Furnish have been civil partners in the UK since 2005, the Ukraine does not recognize same-sex unions and Sir Elton is 62 years old.

The child, who is only known as Lev, lost both of his parents to AIDS.

On Saturday, Sir Elton said at a press conference in Ukraine that the boy – whom he met at an orphanage for children whose lives had been affected by Aids and HIV, – had “stolen my heart”, as he and his long time partner, filmmaker David Furnish toured the orphanage as part of the singer’s work with the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Had John and Furnish been allowed to adopt the child, Ukrainian law also require they adopt his brother, who is also in state care as well.

“Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children… and the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years,” Ukrainian family, youth and sports minister Pavlenko said to the Associated Press. ” Elton John will not be able to adopt a Ukrainian child and if he files that request we will unfortunately deny it. The law is the same for everybody – for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”

LGR sources over at the US State Department tell us that John could still appeal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko for permission to adopt the children, but local politics would probably become an issue; Our source said The Ukraine is entering election season and the issue of foreign adoptions and gay rights are very sensitive ones in that country at the moment, so that avenue would also appear to be closed.

So sadly, two children… who could have the best of care, provided by two loving parents, and all that Sir Elton’s money and name could give them, today still sit in an orphanage, victims of local politics and prejudice.

• Elton John wants to adopt Ukrainian toddler (msnbc.msn.com)