Towleroad reports that Florida Governor Charlie Crist was feeling a bit gay-benevolent when recently asked about the possibility of supporting a lift on the ban preventing gay couples from adopting. The recently married Crist told a journalist that he’d consider it.

Civil rights advocates blasted Crist earlier in the week for encouraging adoption while his administration is in court defending a 1977 law that makes Florida the only state with an outright ban on gay adoption.

Now a candidate for U.S. Senate, Crist hinted today that he might support lifting the ban. At first, Crist said it would be the Legislature’s responsibility to change the law. When pressed on whether he would support the effort, Crist said, “I’d have to think about it.”

That’s kind of you, Charlie, to give up a few firing off of the synapses in your brain regarding the issue for the homos. How about doing it for the children who are languishing without enough loving homes to be placed in because of homophobia. Andy:

Crist today began a statewide “Explore Adoption Day” tour to encourage adoption in Florida. Of course, the irony is that his administration is appealing a decision by Circuit Court Judge Cindy Lederman struck down the state’s law banning gay adoption.

Lederman was demoted earlier this month. Crist was recently the main focus of the Kirby Dick documentary Outrage, which put a spotlight on closeted politicians who behave hypocritically.

The group Securing Our Children’s Rights asks Floridians to call their lawmakers today and tell them to lift the ban on gay adoption.

Charlie’s new interest in the issue is less about finding some fondness for gay couples or kids, but the latest polls.

A Quinnipiac University survey in January of nearly 1,400 voters found that most Floridians support allowing gays to adopt, 55 percent to 39 percent.

UPDATE: Chris @ Law Dork has details on the challenge to Florida’s adoption law. A snippet:

Florida’s ban on any and all gay people from adopting in any and all circumstances is a one-of-its-kind ban, and the American Civil Liberties Union is doing its best in the now-pending appeal of a trial court decision striking down that ban to see the law swept from the books.  The Florida law is almost more cruel in its simplicity:  ”No person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is a homosexual.”  Section 63.042(3), Fla. Stats.  The case involves an openly gay man, Martin Gill, seeking to adopt foster children, two brothers, who he and his partner have raised for the past four years.

Robert Rosenwald – the director of the Florida ACLU’s LGBT Advocacy Project and Gill’s lawyer – said today in an interview with Law Dork that he is “optimistic” that the trial court decision finding that the ban violates the Florida Constitution will be upheld on appeal.

Related:

* Crist makes it official — he comes out…as a U.S. Senate candidate

* Charlie Crist ‘outed’ in new documentary

* Charlie Crist’s engagement mocked on MSNBC

* It’s official: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist endorses marriage amendment

* Breaking: Charlie Crist’s getting hitched…to a woman

* The Talk of the Green Iguana: Will American voters elect the first gay vice president in November?

* Crist to be ‘outed’ as straight…by Roger Stone’s alleged ‘sex tape’

* Tongues wag whether Crist’s ‘girlfriend’ is ‘the one’

* Poor Charlie Crist – he’s really desperate for that VP slot

* Howie Klein: Charlie Crist Has A “Girlfriend”– A First Step Towards Getting On The Mccain Ticket… To Nowhere?

* Oh my — more GOP closet doors are flying open…

* Florida gov Charlie Crist: leave ban on adoption rights for gays on the books