Parental alienation and custodial interference aren’t just for opposite-sex couples anymore. With many same-sex couples becoming parents through adoption and artificial insemination, a whole new world of parents are being introduced to the plight of same-sex couples: break-ups with partners, child custody fights, and all of the horror that comes with high-conflict family break-ups.
Janet Jenkins was in a relationship and same-sex marriage with Lisa Miller. From that relationship a child, Isabella, was born. Isabella is the biological daughter of Lisa Miller. Ultimately, the relationship between the two became irretrievably broken. There was a subsequent divorce and a custody battle over Isabella ensued.
Reportedly, Lisa Miller acted maliciously and allegedly engaged in severe parental alienation efforts with Isabella against Janet Jenkins, the non-biological mother. Complicating matters are the wide-ranging opinions regarding the legality and morality of same-sex marriages and some are aghast at the change in custody from a biological mother to a non-biological mother in this rather complex mess. The custody fight raged for more than 6-years.
From the article:
The custody dispute went all the way to the state supreme court of both states. Vermont’s Supreme Court recognized Jenkins’ parental relationship with Isabella, and the Vermont state Supreme Court found–despite a Virginia law that excludes same-sex families from any legal recognition–that while Miller would receive custody of Isabella, Jenkins would retain visitation rights. It is that arrangement that Judge Cohen’s ruling reversed.
Well, people on both sides of the issue and many in-between certainly have their viewpoints on the matter. Ours is simply that Janet Jenkins and Lisa Miller are Isabella’s parents. Just as with opposite-sex marriage, children deserve both parents. When one parent willfully interferes with the parenting arrangements and who deliberately attempts to poison a child’s mind against the other – appropriate action should be taken.
Given the wide-ranging laws in each state regarding the legal recognition of same-sex couples, one thing is for sure, they’re sure to experience a higher degree legal wrangling when relationships dissolve and children are involved.
There is at least one commonality between heterosexual parents and homosexual parents that will prove to be undeniable. That is – there is an emerging, untapped source of funds to be obtained by state and local courts, child support enforcement agencies, and all those involved in the billions-of-dollars divorce and child custody industry. They are same-sex couples with children.
The other is most assuredly that there will often be one parent who will work very hard to eliminate the other parent from the children’s lives as a means of getting back at that parent for whatever happened in the relationship. Of course, the children will be the ultimate losers in these games and many will be there to profit off of the conflict.
For the full article, click here: VT Judge Awards Custody to Non-Biological Mom
