Michigan Appellate Court Orders Lower Courts to Recognize Same-Sex Relationships
While not a victory for marriage -- or even domestic partnerships -- the Michigan Court of Appeals said last Friday that the United States Constitution requires the state to recognize lesbian couple Diane Giancaspro and Lisa Congleton as joint adoptive parents. The court reversed the trial judge who ruled that Michigan's 2004 ban on gay marriage and domestic partnerships prevented the court from overseeing a custody dispute between the lesbian pair.
While the ruling has granted same-sex couples no new rights in the arena of marriage, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, it does mean that Michigan may now recognize a joint parental relationship in same-sex households.
In response to the ruling, the American Family Association of Michigan is planning a ballot measure that would ban gay adoption in the state, joining Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Utah that all have similar bans.
Via Chicago Tribune
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