Since 2004, “former lesbian” Lisa Miller has violated numerous court rulings in Vermont and Virginia that granted visitation rights to her former partner Janet Jenkins for their daughter Isabella, who was born in 2002.
After unfavorable family-court rulings, Miller worked with religious-right activists to undermine U.S. family law by demanding a special right of ex-gays and religious extremists to move from state to state to escape their family obligations. Had she succeeded, the ability of U.S. states to enforce custody and deadbeat-dad laws could have been damaged. But on June 6, 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld Vermont’ jurisdiction over her former partnership and the resulting child. The Liberty Counsel then vowed to find other ways to sidestep the nation’ laws. In October, a Vermont court was to have considered jailing Miller for contempt of court.
Instead, The Rutland Herald reported, a Vermont judge “decided against punitive measures, instead imposing a new visitation schedule and ordering Jenkins and Miller to communicate directly during preparations for visits and the visits themselves.”
Miller violated that unwise compromise, and on Aug. 25, it seems, the ACLU requested that Lisa Miller be jailed in Virginia and forced to pay attorney fees. But a Virginia judge ruled that although Miller violated a Vermont judge’ visitation order, no fines would be assessed against her. The Christian Post reported, “The court ordered Miller to pay $100 per day for pending visitation orders issued in Vermont, but there are none at this time.” According to World magazine, “a Vermont judge has yet to issue a ruling following a hearing last week that considered Jenkin’ request for custody of Isabella. Later this year, the Virginia Court of Appeals is expected to hear oral arguments on whether Virginia must enforce Vermont’ orders in the case.” The Christian Post points out, “The appeals court previously ruled that Virginia must recognize Vermont’ orders but has not ruled” on whether Virginia must actually enforce those orders.
Focus on the Family and the religious-right Liberty Counsel called the ACLU’s loss “good news” for fugitive antigay Christians.
In an interview last year, Miller maintained her claim to be ex-gay but essentially admitted she had never really been predominantly same-sex-attracted. With Jenkins in particular, she had merely sought platonic female companionship — and apparently deceived Jenkins into forming a civil union. If that is true, then Miller has spent the past five years falsely equating a true lesbian sexual orientation with her largely sexless, insecure, and emotionally unstable “lifestyle.”
Ex-gay advocate Debbie Thurman has formed a Facebook support group for Miller’s fugitive behavior against the U.S. family court system.
There seems to be a recurring theme among these right-wing groups which profess to be the guardians of “family values”, they are willing to do any despicable thing in support of their cause. Just as Pat Robertson would have the CIA murder Hugo Chavez (the democratically elected leader of Venezuela), so James Dobsen’s ‘Focus on the Family’gives comfort to a criminal conspiracy. If Christ is the savior then these folks are gonna have some ‘splainin to do.
Thank you for mentioning the Only One Mommy Facebook group, which I now administrate but did not initiate.
ProtectIsabella.com also exists in order to help set the record straight for concerned citizens, media and citizen-journalists in the blogosphere. Few avail themselves of the facts in the case that are available there or at Liberty Counsel’s Web site (http://www.lc.org). The same, tired misstatements are instead passed around from site to site, ad nauseum.
Most laughable here is the insinuation that Lisa Miller “deceived” Janet Jenkins into having a civil union. It is true both women exhibited poor judgment in their past relationship ‚Äî they met at an AA meeting, for heaven’s sake. They were both deceived by the social construct of gay “marriage,” which still has scant provision for the best interests of the children brought into those unions.
If Miller were a legal “fugitive,” as stated here, she would indeed be in jail. Two states with opposing views and laws on marriage continue to show the nation why 7-year-old Isabella Miller (she represents other hapless children in similar cases) does need protecting as she is caught in the middle.
The Vermont and Virginia family courts have already decided how best to protect Isabella, and Lisa Miller has violated those court orders.
The only thing left to be decided is, why in the world does Virginia think it has no obligation to recognize but not enforce family-court rulings.
If Lisa Miller succeeds, Virginia will become a haven for deadbeat dads and for non-custodial parents who kidnap their kids.
Michael, the courts will have decided when the appeals process is exhausted. Virginia has now opened the avenue that had remained closed previously, and that is for appeals on enforcement of a “foreign” order.
Last time I checked, there were still 50 states in the union. A grand total of six so far allow same-sex marriage or civil unions. Thirty have enacted constitutional amendments and additional laws (Virginia has a Marriage Affirmation Act) that uphold traditional marriage. It is what it is.
People have the incorrect impression that Lisa Miller “kidnapped” her daughter or state-shopped for favorable custodial rulings. The timeline in the case is often confused in media or blog accounts. Jenkins fully agreed to their departure and to dissolving the civil union. Miller took no legal action in Virginia until Jenkins forced her to.
You may argue that these women ought to have tried finding a compromise of some sort in the beginning, but the facts of the case (on the court record) indicate that Jenkins was never willing to do that. Miller made many offers for her to see Isabella, all rejected on shaky grounds. Jenkins has wanted it only one way from the beginning — her way. There is no evidence that the love and bleeding-heart sentiment she has publicly professed for this child exist as anything but a smokescreen. Isabella knows this. You cannot deceive a child.
Eventually, Miller realized she had to take a tougher stance to protect her daughter and maintain her parental right to raise her according to her faith. As you ought to know, if you have followed the case at all, Jenkins has sought full custody of Isabella based on the grounds that Miller’s faith renders her an unfit parent. Ridiculous.
The best interests of this child are the objective of this case, regardless of past mistakes that either of these women may have made.
I’m sure if the ‘still-gay’ had done this in reverse… they’d be calling for her blood. Dead on a crucifix.
And Debbie Thurman… your anti-gay attitudes have always coloured your opinions in this case. You place the interests of the child behind your religious prejudices: that much is obvious.
You are driven by one single neurosis: gays are evil, and therefore anyone who is anti-gay must a priori be a good person.
The simple fact is that M has refused to allow contact, except under her anti-gay terms. M took a child away from their parent, and has used the anti-gay laws and anti-gay resources in Virginia to draw this revolting saga out for years. J sought custody only because M was refusing any contact.
This has nothing to do with the fact Virginia has anti-gay marriage laws. Those are irrelevant, because this is not about marriage. This is about one parent fleeing the responsibility of ensuring a child’s right to maintain contact with both parents, even if the parents split. Who cares why they split, or why they now disagree, but the child always retains a right to access. M has abused that right, on no good grounds. She has now had many years to poison a relationship that the child otherwise had a right to.
That is what is really meant by “The best interests of this child are the objective of this case”. That has nothing to do with your viscious aggression toward lesbians.
Not that you care: lesbians are evil and should be attacked. For anything, and for any reason.
PS Debbie: this is some blunt advice.
Stop. STOP. Stop referring to the parents, and particularly the child, by their full names and STOP running a public campaign that uses that child. If you don’t know why you should follow this standard practice… it only goes to prove how much you are unfit to be involved. If you, and like minded, continue this sordid campaign the child is going to end up as messed up as you were. (And you know how messed up you were/are.)
I could only hope this situation may happen to you some day; if only for a lesson. I could, but I cannot wish that on anyone.
What a nasty piece of work you are. You need to pray harder, and I suspect upwards.
“… your viscious (sic) aggression toward lesbians. … lesbians are evil and should be attacked. For anything, and for any reason.”
This (and more that you said) is more sad than laughable. I don’t want a laugh at your expense, grantdale.
Obviously, this utter nonsense is why you all rarely hear from me. But Mike did mention my name. I merely responded in a civil manner. It was a waste of time, as usual.
Who is hating whom here? And being aggressive?
Did you know that part of my “campaign,” as you like to call supporting a friend, also includes daily prayer for Janet Jenkins? Would you like to be on the list?
Civil discussions are impossible on this blog. It’s a peeing contest or a one-sided rant you want. You may do the peeing and ranting by yourself.
Please do realize you are helping no one, but only digging a deep trench deeper with such rants. What constructive purpose does endless, angry venting serve? That’s a rhetorical question that I will not be back to discuss.
We don’t hate you Debbie.
To have emotion would suggest we think you are responsible for your attitudes and thoughts, and we don’t think you are. You have had a deeply disturbed life, plagued by mental illness. We cannot hate you for that. Nor blame you. Nor judge you.
But, you do seem to need help Debbie. Secular help.
Start with anger and paranoia.
All else aside, your public words can stand for themself. Anyone with half an ability can easily discover the disgusting and false way you talk about gay men and women. We feel obliged to correct you, but we cannot blame you; given your history.
ps: ‘civil discussions’ are possible on this blog, but just don’t expect to get away with blatant falsehoods. Someone will correct a distorted opinion. Yes, even Yours; dear Napoleon.
Eh, just another female hustler and potential future Maury Povich guest, this Lisa Miller.
If Miss Jenkins really cares about the kid, just wait a few years until Isabella can legally choose which parent she wants to associate with. If hustler Miller is still associated with the “ex-gays” at that point, you can bet she’ll choose YOU.
If you’re reading this Janet: don’t be financially supporting that hustler. Instead, set up a savings for little Isabella that only SHE can access once she turns 18 (or old enough to graduate). You might miss out on her childhood, but she’ll be grateful once she escapes those money-grubbing clutches of Lisa Miller. Like SHE’LL be able to put her through college.
“You have had a deeply disturbed life, plagued by mental illness.”
How dare you. This is typical of name-calling on behalf of the liberal side. You’re not willing to get the facts truly out like Debbie, and you’re only willing to abuse emotionally. I feel sorry for people like you who are willing to see things go to Hell in a handbasket. Screw you!
Debbie and Morris:
Your nonsense may work when you are preaching to the brainwashed choir. But, at this site readers are highly educated and are not easily fooled by distortions and propaganda. I am sure a smart, well-read audience is problematic to your misinformation, so you resort to name-calling and tantrums to compensate for the shortcomings in your arguments.
The indisputable fact is, gay parents have just as good a chance to raise, healthy kids who grow up to be productive adults as heterosexual parents. You can protest and misrepresent the research all you want. But, the people who come to this website are not the sheep you are used to preaching to. I am sorry if you find people in the reality-based community so vexing and threatening.
Well said, Wayne!!!!!