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Today, the debate about gay and lesbian adoption in France takes place in a rapidly-changing international legislative and legal context. To contribute to the debate, we recall the specifics of French adoption from legal, administrative and cultural points of view, and the place given to requests from same-sex couples. We then examine the evolution of different theoretical positions and knowledge gathered about the adoption of, and children raised by, same-sex families, and finally the professional practices especially in the context of approval for adoption. This review leads us to plead for a renewed approach to approval, requiring a reflection on the process itself and a clearer specification of the criteria for selecting candidates.