Thank you for the clarification and additional information.

TRiG.

A judge in an “Amtsgericht” (district court? Amtsgericht is the lowest court in the German court system) thought the relevant provision in the Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz was unconstitutional in view of Art 6 of the Grundgesetz (German constitution), which protects marriage and the family. So this judge asked the constitutional court for a decision. The constituional court dismissed the motion on procedural grounds but also said on the merits that there is no priority in the constitution of biological parents over social parents.

For those who read German the press-release by the Bundesverfassungsgericht:
http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/pressemitteilungen/bvg09-098.html
and the decision http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/entscheidungen/lk20090810_1bvl001509.html

It is not yet possible for a same-sex couple in Germany to adopt a child as a couple, but an amendment to the relevant law is presently being discussed.

And yes: adoption is a much more contested and emotional question in many European countries than same-sex partnership. Even in those nordic countries where some kind of legal partnership for same-sex couples has been in force since the late 1980ies, early 1990ies, adoption was allowed much later. Many people who don’t mind what two adult persons do with each other have big problems imagining two gay fathers caring for a child.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202433375336&rss=newswire