This is Idaho
To be fair, this case just happens to be in the Idaho courts. It could just as well be with any other states that surround Idaho, or even in the South.
This is the story of a gay dad who lives in Idaho. He lost custody of his two children because he is gay and was denied visitation rights as long as he lived with his same-sex partner.
After six years of marriage, Theron McGriff and his wife, Shawn McGriff, divorced. Theron was given custody of their two daughters under the divorce agreement.
But then Theron met another man, fell in love, and they bought a home together. Shawn McGriff went back to court claiming a gay relationship wasn't in the best interest of their two daughters. Bonneville County Magistrate L. Mark Riddoch agreed, and removed the girls from Theron McGriff's custody and gave them to his ex-wife. Riddoch further ordered that the children not visit Theron McGriff as long as he lived with his partner. (story)
In the ruling, the judge said that Theron McGriff hadn't considered the impact his "lifestyle" would have on the girls, especially in their conservative and heavily Mormon city of Idaho Falls. He also ordered him to pay all the legal fees in the case, estimated at more than $30,000.
So now, the Idaho Supreme Court will hear the case, and I would be totally surprised if they rule in favor of this man. I feel bad for him. This is exactly why I don't live in Idaho anymore.
What really saddens me in this country is the hypocrisy under which we live. We love to call ourselves the "land of the free", "equal rights for all", blah blah blah. We aren't free at all and our citizens are no where near having equal rights.
When I go out with my partner, we are always careful not to show affection subconsciously. A straight friend actually told me once that we never show affection. I said, "We won't. Not around you or anyone else. Society has trained us very well." That's just wrong and I'm so tired that no one seems to give a crap about our minority. No one seems to be upset that we do not have the same rights as others.
"No one is free unless everyone is free"... seems to be crap.
Sources for this story: 365gay.com and The Advocate.
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The mother is not fit!
How do I know?
If she filed the original case based on her ex being gay, then she's a stupid ugly cow that is not fit to be a parent. End of story.
Dan
I hope you are right Mary. This is not a gay-rights issue. It should be souly based on what is best for the children. If that turns out to be the mother for "real" reasons and not those based on bigotry, I'm all for that.
I just hope that they give the guy a fair chance is all. If they do, then I think I will have to re-visit my attitudes somewhat on Idaho. I know it will still be a highly conservative state, but I will at least have to give them a point for fairness.
In reading the Idaho Statesman this morning, the supreme court justices are asking all the right questions, and actually accused the mother's attorney of lying when he said the case was about parental fitness and not about the father being gay; the original case was almost entirely based on the gay issue. Speculation in the media here (in Boise) is that if the justices find for the mother, it will not be based on the father's being gay - they will find some other issue.
Well, IMHO the courts have been screwed up on parental rights rulings for years regardless of sexual orentation/preference. Is the female _ALWAYS_ the better parent? Is the male _ALWAYS_ the "deadbeat" and is the male always the one on drugs, etc?
I do wish the guy luck with the appeal though.