The
issue of "legal standing" hits home for Lisa
Coons-Andersen, who will continue her efforts when she
travels to Texas for an appeals hearing regarding her
own daughter, Savannah.
(Orlando, Florida) Lisa Coons-Andersen continues to work
for "legal standing" for
non-biological gay and lesbian parents of children in
Florida On September 18, 2002, she will be in Texas for
an appeals hearing regarding her own daughter, Savannah,
who she has not been allowed to see in several years.
Lisa has diligently worked toward an agreement with her
former partner which would allow the joint custody of
Savannah. Coon-Andersen says "There must be a high
level of cooperation between the two parents. Our society
must understand that this is a very emotional issue, with
potential long term, damaging consequences to our children
if handled inappropriately."
In a recent article from the September 3, 2002 issue of
The Advocate magazine about a Kentucky gay couple who
sets out to raise quadruplets, knowing that the state
only recognizes one of them as the father, Lisa Coons-Andersen
was quoted, saying that she recommends that same-sex parents
not only legally document their life as a family with
things such as a will but also create records of parental
involvement through photos, school documents, or proof
of their participation in their children's extracurricular
activities. "These may not be legally binding,"
she acknowledged, "but if you're caught in a dispute
over the kids with your ex-partner, they can at least
give your lawyer something concrete."
Although gay and lesbian issues have never been closer
to the forefront of the judicial and legislative systems,
many jurisdictions and states still refuse to apply the
same standards to both the heterosexual couple family
and the same-sex couple family. Coons-Andersen says "It
is important for our communities to understand that the
face of the family is changing, and that the delicate
bonds that hold people together must be preserved using
understanding and fairness, with an eye to the well being
of our most innocent, our children."
In 2000, Coons-Andersen began a non-profit foundation
called We 2 Have Parental Rights (www.We2HaveParentalRights.com)
to focus on bringing to light these on-going efforts for
legal fairness when dealing with the gay and lesbian family.
The website is an attempt to bring together the resources,
individuals, and focus needed to help fight for parental
rights for everyone, and to protect the sanctity of the
parent/child relationship.
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Lisa Coons-Andersen will continue to advocate for "legal
standing" in her home state of Florida, as well as
through her website, www.We2HaveParentalRights.com for
parental rights relative to children of gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender parents.
(Orlando,
Florida) The recent decision from the 5th Court of Appeals
in Dallas, Texas was returned … the verdict is that
Lisa Coons-Andersen was again denied in winning rights
to have visitation with her daughter, Savannah Coons-Andersen.
Lisa
Coons-Andersen says "I will not be appealing this
decision. I do not plan to pursue any further action to
gain visitation between myself and Savannah. I do pray
for healing for all in this difficult situation, and hope
that hearts and minds will be changed in the future, allowing
contact between my daughter and me. I am truly sorry for
any pain my ex-partner, Juley, has experienced during
this litigation. I felt that my efforts were necessary
to gain a legal standing for visiting Savannah, so that
I could be a part of her formative years."
Lisa's
words to Savannah express the love she still holds and
the confidence she puts in
the ability of Juley, her ex-partner and Savannah's mother,
to properly raise Savannah:
"I
do miss you Savannah and hope that, someday, our situation
will be different. March 23, 2003, was your 6th birthday
and you were so much in my heart and on my mind, just
as you are daily.
I am sure you are a wonderful young person, finding your
way in this world. Even though it has been over 3 years
since I have seen you, I know in my heart you are being
raised wonderfully by your mother, Juley. I have full
confidence in that. Please know how much I love you and
hope that someday our paths will cross. Please also know
that even though I have moved on in my life, I will never
forget you. You are still a part of me, my inner soul,
and that will never go away. You will always be in my
heart."
In
2000, Coons-Andersen founded a non-profit foundation called
We 2 Have Parental Rights (www.We2HaveParentalRights.com)
to focus on bringing to light these on-going efforts for
legal fairness when dealing with the gay and lesbian family.
The website is an attempt to bring together the resources,
individuals, and focus needed to help fight for parental
rights for everyone, and to protect the sanctity of the
parent/child relationship.
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