 Spanish bishops also claimed that the government , by extending the right of marriage to same @-@ sex couples , weakened the meaning of marriage , which they defined as an involving a heterosexual couple . The Spanish Family Forum expressed concern over the possibility of gay couples adopting and raising children , and argued that adoption is not a right for the parents , but for the adopted . Gay associations replied that de facto adoption by same @-@ sex couples had existed for a long time in Spain , since many couples were rearing minors adopted by one of the partners . Adoption by same @-@ sex couples was already legal in Navarre ( 2000 ) , the Basque Country ( 2003 ) , Aragon ( 2004 ) , Catalonia ( 2005 ) and Cantabria ( 2005 ) before the same @-@ sex marriage law legalized these adoptions nationwide . Furthermore , in Asturias ( 2002 ) , Andalusia ( 2002 ) and Extremadura ( 2003 ) , same @-@ sex couples could jointly begin procedures to temporarily or permanently take children in care . These associations also argued that there was no scientific basis for the claim that the parents ' sexual orientation would cause developmental problems for their adopted children . This view is officially supported by the Spanish School of Psychology , which also states that homosexuality is not a pathology . 
