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S. Fla. Gay Adoption Case Finalized

MIAMI (CBS4) -- A homosexual North Miami Beach couple has officially adopted two brothers in a case that overturned Florida's three-decade ban on gay adoptions.

Martin Gill and his partner were the boys' foster parents for six years before the adoption was finalized Wednesday.

Gill and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state, calling the ban unconstitutional. The 3rd District Court of Appeal agreed in a ruling last year. The state decided not to appeal.

Gill said he is thrilled they are "officially a family in the eyes of the law."

The prohibition was enacted in 1977 and court records indicate it was the only law of its kind in the United States.

The Department of Children and Families changed its forms so adoptive parents aren't asked if they're homosexuals.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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