RELATED CONTENT
> Annual Update 2009 - Parenting
> In re: Gill - Case Profile
> Cole v. Arkansas
> Chandler v. Barker
Foster Parenting and Adoption
Litigated against anti-gay adoption and foster parenting bans and decisions
Jennifer Owens and Sheila Cole - plaintiffs in our challenge to the Arkansas adoption ban - with Sheila's granddaughter, who they hope to adopt.
Arkansas: Filed challenge to law enacted by the voters in November 2008 that bans unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents
Florida: Won trial court ruling overturning Florida鈥檚 ban on adoption by gay people; successfully used this fifth AC LU challenge to the ban to get out our twin messages that (1) the evidence shows that children raised by gay people do just as well as those raised by heterosexuals, and (2) this ban is harmful to at-risk kids
Georgia: Successfully represented lesbian mother against criminal contempt charges filed against her by judge who had denied her petition to adopt a close friend鈥檚 daughter
Michigan: Represented co-parent of three Illinois-adopted daughters in custody case; family court ruled that neither parent could enforce her rights as parent in Michigan because that would violate the Michigan Constitution鈥檚 amendment that recognizes only unions between a man and a woman; on appeal
Texas: Lesbian couple who were foster parents seeking to adopt five siblings, some with developmental disorders, were before a judge who ruled that the siblings should be 鈥渞e-broadcasted鈥� as adoptable children for other potential families; we helped transfer case to new judge in another county who approved the adoption
Fought against discriminatory parenting measures in state legislatures and elections
The Kelley-Estes family, who are plaintiffs challenging Act 1, the newly passed Arkansas adoption ban.
Arkansas: Worked with local organizers in unsuccessful effort to defeat ballot initiative that bans unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents
Tennessee: Successfully lobbied against proposed bill to ban adoption by LGBT couples
Custody & Visitation
Tennessee: Challenged local court rule that all divorce agreements involving children include the following provision: 鈥淎ny paramour of either parent to whom a parent is not legally married is not to spend the night in the presence of or in the same residence with any minor child of the parties.鈥� (pending)
De Facto Parenthood
Maryland: Filed friend-of-the-court brief before the state high court arguing for the non-adoptive parent鈥檚 bid for recognition as a 鈥減arent-in-fact鈥� in a child custody dispute between lesbian former partners (unsuccessful but considering legislative fix)
Missouri: Filed friend-of-the-court brief before Court of Appeals, arguing for the right of a lesbian to be treated as a parent in a custody case involving her former partner鈥檚 biological child
Montana: Represented non-adoptive lesbian parent in custody dispute over two children, eight and four, adopted by her former partner when they were a couple; District Court confirmed the rights of the children to maintain relationships with both parents after trial in which expert testimony, for the first time in a same-sex de facto parenting case, was introduced on the significance of dual parenting to children鈥檚 development
Virginia: Represented lesbian non-biological mother seeking visitation with child she raised jointly with her former partner; Court of Appeals refused to recognize her parental rights
Second-Parent Adoptions
Maine: Worked with GLAD on amicus strategy for case seeking joint adoption rights for unmarried couples; helped persuade Maine Supreme Judicial Court to grant joint adoption rights
Michigan: Worked to pass bill making it clear that two unmarried persons can jointly adopt children (and thus specifically allowing for second-parent adoptions) (pending)
Nebraska: Unsuccessfully lobbied for legislation to enable second-parent adoptions
Nevada: Worked with child welfare professionals on legislation to permit second-parent adoptions
North Carolina: Helped North Carolina State Senator Julia Boseman in her case for joint custody of her adopted son with her ex-partner, his biological mother; helped persuade ex-partner to drop class action effort to invalidate all second-parent adoptions by same-sex couples; now assisting Boseman against ex-partner鈥檚 efforts to invalidate her second-parent adoption
