A federal grand jury in Vermont has indicted Timothy Miller, a Mennonite missionary who is accused of aiding Lisa Miller (no relation) in abducting 9-year-old Isabella Miller-Jenkins and taking her to Nicaragua.

According to the Associated Press, the indictment was dated May 12. According to an AP update, Timothy Miller remains free on bond.

Lisa Miller entered a Vermont civil union in 2000 with her then-partner, Janet Jenkins. After conceiving Isabella, Miller declared herself to be an “ex-lesbian” evangelical Christian and absconded to Virginia with Isabella in violation of family-court rulings granting visitation rights to Jenkins. In an interview with Christian media, Miller acknowledged a past of emotional instability and abuse, and indicated that she had not been sexually attracted to Jenkins despite her claim to be ex-lesbian. In late 2009, after years of adverse court rulings, Miller fled the country with Isabella, and full legal custody of Isabella was granted to Jenkins in Miller’s absence.

CBN News says Timothy Miller could face up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Not far from Truth Wins Out’s international headquarters!

Couple gets married in Vermont, wants to get divorced in Nebraska, and that’s a typical story, right?  Except that it’s a same-sex couple, and that whole long ago useless Federalism thing is making things weird.  In this case, the judge says that since same-sex couples can’t marry in Nebraska, they surely can’t divorce either:

Judge Randall Rehmeier ruled that a lesbian couple married in Vermont eight years ago couldn’t get a divorce decree in Nebraska because Nebraska only recognizes heterosexual marriage.

The divorce was sought by a Nebraska City woman who wanted to break the Vermont marriage with her partner.

However, Rehmeier did issue a ruling involving parenting, visitation rights for the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, child support and other matters.

How bizarre.

Truth Wins Out (TWO) announced today that it has moved the non-profit organization from New York City to Burlington. Vt. Founded in 2006, TWO fights anti-gay religious extremism and counters the so-called “ex-gay” industry, which claims to help people “pray away the gay”.

TWO’s founder, Wayne Besen, chose Burlington to cut operating costs, but also considered the location highly desirable, geographically convenient and believed that the well-educated population was ideal in assisting with the organization’s important work. Besen first began thinking about the move in 2009 after he spoke at the University of Vermont.

“Burlington is a charming college town situated on a magnificent lake with smart people who can help us monitor anti-gay religious extremism,” said TWO founder and Executive Director Wayne Besen. “By moving to Burlington, we will significantly cut costs in tough economic times. While Burlington is not a large city, it is in a great location because it is only a short flight from Boston, New York City, Chicago, or Washington.”

TWO’s new address is:

Post Office Box 96
Burlington, Vt. 05402

“TWO looks forward to prospering in its new home,” said Besen. “We are excited about meeting interesting people and enjoying this wonderful, energetic city.”

We made strange and eerie discovery over the holidays on a visit Vermont’s most mysterious and beautiful lake, Lake Willoughby. What we found, was that the lake was inhabited by a gigantic alien that must still be frozen from the ice age.

Think I’m kidding?

Look at picture number 1, which seems like a benign picture of lovely scenery. Now, take a look what happens when you flip the picture, you can see the space monster in its full, terrifying glory. When you look at picture number one again, you can see that half of the alien’s  head rests below the surface of the pristine glacial water.

With this creepy discovery, the lake can never again be seen the same way. Move over Nessie, there is a much more terrifying creature to behold — and this one is no myth.

This body of water must be renamed — Alien Lake.

It’s too bad Isabella Miller-Jenkins’ other mother, Lisa Miller, is apparently a kidnapper. The Vermont Supreme Court has weighed in on the court order which gave Janet Jenkins sole custody of her daughter:

The Vermont supreme court has unanimously granted custody to a lesbian who has been battling to become the guardian of the young girl she and her former partner raised together.

The ruling is in favor of Vermont resident Janet Jenkins, affirming a 2009 court order giving her sole physical and legal custody of Isabella Miller-Jenkins. Lisa Miller, Jenkins’ former partner, is still missing with their 8-year-old daughter, according to Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which argued on Jenkins’ behalf before the supreme court.

This story is just so sad, and shows the childish lengths fundamentalist Christians will go to to defend their fantasy-based worldview.

The very kind and talented Richard Alther has a new book out, “Sigfried Follies”.

I had the pleasure of meeting Richard and his partner Ray Repp in Seattle a couple of months ago. Ray and Richard are from a lovely little town in Vermont, with a charming view of Lake Champlain!

I urge our readers to check out his new book for some good winter reading. Curl up by the fireplace and enjoy.

First Reviews for Siegfried Follies

“How could Germans create a Holocaust?   What in the Jewish spirit has provoked persecution through the centuries? Unflinchingly, in exploring the psyches of two men and the culture in which each is embedded, this rich, compelling novel probes the world as a whole.

“Richard Alther delves into German and Jewish history, the Talmud, the Old Testament, Wagnerian opera, and writings ranging from Mein Kampf to stories of the Baal Shem Tov, resulting in a riveting story of two orphans, polar opposites, who forge an intimate bond.”
–Maria Espinosa, American Book Award Winner for the novel, LONGING

“Moves from horror to felicity with a wise and witty hand. An historical sweep grounded in twentieth century Germany, Israel, and the United States, Siegfried Follies is by turns keenly observed, screamingly funny, and quietly reflective.”
–William John Kennedy, Comparative Literature, Cornell University

“A powerful saga of two boys’ traumatic childhoods living under horrific circumstances, and the emotional and psychological damage they carry into adulthood. It’s a sweeping story of love, jealousy, betrayal, and redemption.”
–Bestsellersworld.com

For more information check out www.siegfriedfollies.com

Lisa Miller is the one-half of a Vermont lesbian couple that conceived daughter Isabella with partner Janet Jenkins — and then abducted Isabella and took her to Virginia. There, prejudiced state courts violated Vermont’s family-law jurisdiction over the family and allowed Miller to violate Jenkins’ visitation rights until the court rulings were overturned by Virginia’s Supreme Court in 2007.

Since then, Miller lived more-or-less openly as a fugitive — violating Jenkins’ visitation rights, showcasing her daughter as a Christian Right political trophy, and sharing her story of troubled celibacy and sexual confusion (which she described as an ex-lesbian fundamentalist freedom) to Christian Right media. Then, late last year, because Miller had violated Jenkins’ visitation rights since 2004, a Vermont judge issued a final ruling granting sole custody of Isabella to Jenkins.

By the time of that ruling, however, it appears that Miller had already absconded with Isabella again. Miller abandoned her Virginia home and left her lawyers at the fundamentalist Liberty Counsel supposedly unaware of her wishes and whereabouts, even as they continued to represent Miller in court.

According to the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, Lisa Miller and Isabella Miller-Jenkins are now officially listed as missing and the case is classified as family abduction.

LezGetReal now believes that Miller is hiding as a “missionary” in Quito, Ecuador, using a church group affiliated with HCJB Global as shelter for the abduction.

We hope that U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities urgently investigate.

Jamie and I absolutely love Vermont. Here are a few pictures of a friendly cow we bonded with while on a country road. We wanted to take “Oinky Doinky Moo” home and make her a pet. However, there was no room in the apartment and we thought the landlord might object.

There is also a picture of our dog, Doinkers (aka Oinky Doinky Doo). She has nothing to do with Vermont, but she was included because everyone likes puppies and she is super cute.

Updated: Just added our cat Critter! Our little Lion.

Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen has given ex-gay activist Lisa Miller 30 more days to appear in court with her 7-year-old child or face a contempt of court finding and possible arrest, according to The Roanoke Times.

Since 2004, Miller has violated repeated court orders to permit visitation by her ex-partner, Janet Jenkins. Late last year, Miller was finally ordered to surrender custody of their daughter to Jenkins, to ensure that their daughter Isabella enjoys her right to know both parents.

Miller violated the custody order on January 1 and disappeared with Isabella, who is now on the missing-children’s list of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Miller’s lawyers at the Liberty Counsel claim not to know their client’s whereabouts, but one of the Liberty Counsel’s attorneys created a Facebook group which supports Miller’s abduction of Isabella and subsequent disappearance.

Hat tip: Joe.My.God