This article explores the devastating impact of a court decision that granted full custody of a child to his father, despite the mother's pleas, based solely on her sexual orientation. The story focuses on Judi Morris, a lesbian mother, whose son, George, suffered from years of neglect and ultimately died from a heroin overdose. The author highlights the systemic biases against LGBTQ+ parents and the long-lasting consequences of such discrimination.
The former politician Linda Bellos, who ‘struggled through tears to tell us how she lost custody of her children when her youngest was just two’.The former politician Linda Bellos, who ‘struggled through tears to tell us how she lost custody of her children when her youngest was just two’.As late as the 1990s, the law sided with fathers over custody on the basis of a woman’s sexuality.
The path from the court’s decision to George’s death aged 51 in 2022 due to an infected needle site wasn’t fated. But my heart aches for Judi, as she must wonder how differently her son’s life could have turned out had she been allowed to raise him. Bellos and Holmes, as well as other women we have spoken to, are calling for an apology from the government. The Ministry of Justice has issued a statement to “recognise those societal attitudes as deeply discriminatory” and offer that “our heartfelt sympathies are with all those who suffered as a result”, but this isn’t enough for the families still hurting.
Another document we discovered was a 1983 ruling from Lord Justice Sir Roger Ormrod, who declared: “Experience shows … homosexual relationships do tend to be even more unstable than heterosexual relationships.” Well, whose experience? I also came across disparaging descriptions of women as “militant lesbians” and “ardent feminists”, as if these things ever amounted to child protection issues.
LGBTQ+ Custody Battles Child Welfare Addiction Discrimination
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