Good News, Bad News

Lawyer Nancy Polikoff informs us of both good news and bad news this week:

First, the bad news: The Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal just ruled that lesbian mom Kimberlee Black is not entitled to joint custody of a child she co-raised for six years. Full custody will go to the child’s biological mother, Kimberly Simms. Polikoff notes that the child will also lose contact with her younger brother, Black’s biological child, and with her grandparents on Black’s side, with whom she and Black lived for two years.

In its ruling, the court said that Simms is the only mother, and has the right to full custody unless Black could prove it would cause “substantial harm” to the child. Although the court-ordered counselor testified that “it was really important that Braelyn have contact with both women,” whom she regarded as her two mothers, the counselor also admitted “a parent is not unfit because they decide that a child can no longer associate with a family friend that has been close to the family for years.” (emphasis Polikoff’s).

That’s right. “Family friend.” It sounds like that was a phrase used by Simm’s lawyer when he asked the question. I’m trying not to retch on my keyboard.

Now, the good news: The Georgia Supreme Court overturned a trial court order that gay dad Eric Mongerson could not exercise his visitation rights with his four children in the presence of his “homosexual partners and friends.” Sovo.com has more.