Today, the Washington Court of Appeals granted permission for local and national organizations to file amicus briefs that support Legal Voice’s arguments in In re Marriage of Black. In this case, Legal Voice and our cooperating attorneys from Perkins Coie are representing Rachelle Black in appealing decisions entered by a Pierce County court in her divorce. Ms. Black sought a divorce from her husband after realizing that she was a lesbian. Even though Ms. Black had been a stay-at-home mother for the couple’s children for fifteen years, the trial court awarded primary custody of the children to their father – and also restricted Ms. Black from discussing religion, homosexuality, or other “alternative lifestyle concepts” with the children.
The Court of Appeals granted permission for amicus briefs to be filed by: (1) the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, and Professor Julie Shapiro; (2) the Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA), Family Equality Council, and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Washington State Council; and (3) the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA).
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– Read the brief from NCLR, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, and Prof. Julie Shapiro
– Read the brief from WSPA, Family Equality Council, and PFLAG Washington State Council
