Texas Case Challenges Second Parent Adoptions
by 365Gay.com Wires


(Galveston, Texas)  A lesbian couple whose eight-year relationship ended in March is in a legal battle over whether the woman who adopted the child born to her partner should be recognized as the girl's parent. 

A Galveston County associate judge earlier upheld the adoption approved in 2001, but a district judge is considering an appeal. The judge heard oral arguments earlier this week.

The 6-year-old's biological mother, Julie Anne Hobbs, claims the adoption by her former partner, Janet Kathleen Van Stavern, is void. She says among the requirements for a child to be adopted under the Texas Family Code is for the child's relationship with biological parents to be terminated or for the parent whose rights were not terminated to be married to the person seeking custody. Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Texas.


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Louisiana gay marriage ban may wipe out DP benefits


The constitutional amendment approved Saturday in Louisiana to ban same-sex marriage will wipe out New Orleans's benefits for partners of city workers who sign onto a domestic-partner registry, say attorneys challenging the amendment. "The only immediate direct effect of this amendment is to abolish the New Orleans domestic-partner registry ordinance. That is exactly what the people behind this amendment wanted," attorney John Rawls said. "They sued to abolish it and lost in court. So they stuck it in a craftily worded amendment." City attorneys have said they don't think the amendment will affect the city ordinance.
Mayoral spokeswoman Tanzie Jones reiterated that Wednesday but said she did not know the legal basis for the contention and that city attorneys were busy with another matter.


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Oklahoma's gay marriage ballot measure upheld


The Oklahoma supreme court on Thursday let stand a referendum to ban same-sex marriage that is scheduled for the November 2 general election ballot. In a one-sentence order signed by Chief Justice Joseph M. Watt, the court refused to assume jurisdiction in the case.
That means State Question 711, which would amend the Oklahoma constitution to ban same-sex marriage, will remain on the ballot.


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Christian network denies its founder had gay affair


The world's largest Christian broadcasting network responded on Wednesday to recent news articles about its operations and once again denied a claim by a former employee that he had a gay affair with its founder. The Trinity Broadcasting Network issued a press release claiming that articles published by the Los Angeles Times over the past week failed to accurately depict the Costa Mesa-based organization in a fair light. "The newspaper's publisher has its own agenda," said TBN spokesperson Colby May. "Its reporting has been selective and subjective."