The 2017 Texas Law, HB 3859, which allows broad discrimination by adoption agencies will undoubtedly harm the thousands of children who have already been abused or neglected by their birth parents and desperately need loving homes. The law allows agencies to discriminate because of any “sincerely held religious belief.” Private adoption agencies can already set...Read More
Today’s New York Times article explains why second-parent adoptions are still highly recommended for LGBTQ families. I’ve highlighted a few important points below, but the entire article is a must read: “You can be completely respected and protected as a family in one state and be a complete legal stranger to your children in another....Read More
While it feels really great for a birth mother’s wife to be listed on a Texas birth certificate, the Wren case (Beaumont court of Appeals, 2017) clearly shows why lesbian couples cannot rely on a birth certificate alone to establish parentage for the second mother. Two women, CW and AE, were married in Connecticut in...Read More
Following is a link to a wonderful gender spectrum website helping to educate folks on the issues of gender identity and being transgender. Per the article: “Dimensions of Gender? While our gender may begin with the assignment of our sex, it doesn’t end there. A person’s gender is the complex interrelationship between three dimensions: – Body: our...Read More
In the upcoming months and years the most powerful tool we have is PUBLIC OPINION. How do politicians know what we think? Protests – and contact with our representatives. I hope you will take the time to read this article and organize your own protests – large and small. Also, consider becoming a member of...Read More
While CNN may not be a legal resource the following article quotes some very wise legal scholars: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/11/politics/trump-victory-lgbt-concerns/ About Adoption: “Gay and lesbian parents are worried that their parental rights could be in jeopardy, especially for the non-biological parent. Even if that person’s name is on the child’s birth certificate, experts say it’s best to...Read More
The LGBT citizens of our nation are reeling after the presidential election. What does a Trump presidency mean for our community? Will the gains that we have made be undone? During my thirty years as a lawyer and gay rights activist I have seen great progress. By being out and proud, we have introduced ourselves...Read More
The following New York Times article reports on a case decided by the United States Supreme Court concerning the adoption rights of same-sex couples: Supreme Court Restores Visitation Rights to Lesbian Adoptive MotherRead More
Two Austin women were married Thursday morning on a state judge’s orders, igniting celebrations from supporters and condemnation from the state’s Republican leaders, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, who vowed to void the marriage. Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant, together almost 31 years, said their vows before Rabbi Kerry Baker while standing in front of...Read More
Parenthood Denied by the Law After a Same-Sex Couple’s Breakup, a Custody Battle The Marriage Equality Act, which New York State passed in June 2011, allowed Jann Paczkowski to marry her partner, Jamie, with the assurance that “the marriages of same-sex and different-sex couples” would “be treated equally in all respects under the law.” But...Read More
