>> A child was born into the relationship <<
Excuse me? What does the “relationship” have to do with a mother’s bond to her natural child? The Vermont woman had nothing to do with the birth. Just because she was in a lesbian relationship with the mother, or even if she “manned” the turkey baster, I fail to see why she should have any rights vis-à-vis another woman’s child.
And shame on any Virginia judge who would enforce the crazy Vermont judge’s order. Virginia doesn’t recognize “civil unions” and should be under no obligation to give full faith and credit to Vermont’s recognition of such.
“The judge who ordered such visitation is simply an idiot.”
The Judge awarded CUSTODY, not visitation. This was to be a permanent transfer.
As for allowing visitation, the child reported earlier that she was molested on an earlier visitation to Vermont, and that the woman ‘took baths with her’.
That’s when Lisa Miller cut off all visitation. This case should have been open and shut. The problem is that the gay rights activists are trying to establish two things here.
1. There are no ‘ex-gays’, and anyone who claims to be ‘ex-gay’ is an unfit parent.
2. The civil union even after divorce entitles one to visitation, etc. Nevermind the fact that no ADOPTION papers were ever filed, etc.
“The judge who ordered such visitation is simply an idiot.”
The Judge awarded CUSTODY, not visitation. This was to be a permanent transfer.
As for allowing visitation, the child reported earlier that she was molested on an earlier visitation to Vermont, and that the woman ‘took baths with her’.
That’s when Lisa Miller cut off all visitation. This case should have been open and shut. The problem is that the gay rights activists are trying to establish two things here.
1. There are no ‘ex-gays’, and anyone who claims to be ‘ex-gay’ is an unfit parent.
2. The civil union even after divorce entitles one to visitation, etc. Nevermind the fact that no ADOPTION papers were ever filed, etc.
Legally, she was the adoptive mother of the baby, through the civil union laws of Vermont.
But the divorce decree had granted custody to the natural mother, with visitation rights only to the other mother.
The natural mother violated the court decree for visitation rights. She was fined repeatedly, but still did not maintain the legal visitation she had agreed to in the divorce, nor go through the proper legal channels to change the visitation order.
So the judge finally had to award custody to the other woman, who promised to maintain the visitation rights of the natural mother.
This was a legal battle, with the hope that Virginia law would be interpreted as invalidating civil court rulings of other states. But the Virginia judges, through the Supreme Court, rejected that argument.
Virginia courts are not liberal. The lack of respect for basic law from some conservatives is a bit appalling.