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Settlement Jane Doe Case ... Unitarian-Universalist Gay Community JFREEI Unitarian Church 739 Yarmouth Street Norfolk, Virginia 23510 COMMUN·ITY PRESS For informati_on and help can 6 25-11_30 January, 1982 Volume 6, Number· 4 • Settlement lfl Jane Doe Case Then, according to Jane Doe (in an Lesbian interview done with Our Own, 1980) 11 It was after his summervacation of Deprogramming .' 1978 that I received papers from a sheriff at my door that my son's On October 8, Stephanie Riethmiller stepmother was petitioning to adopt was snatched from the street near her him and that there was a- hearing 11 apartment and held for a week by her mo­ that was set for October of 1978. ther and four other captors in an effort · So Jane Doe went back to Franklin to 11 deprogram 11 her lesbainism. County and hired the head of the· Reportedly, her parents paid $8000 to ACLU Children's Right Project, Lesbian Denied cult deprogrammer Ted Patrick to· tldepro­ Marcia Robinson Lowry as her attorney. gram11 their daughter "from the physical Four character witnesses were pre, ·custody and mental · influence exerted over her by ~ented and the Ohio Social Service Patricia Thieman," her 20-year old room- Agency report stated that Jane was a The Lambda Legal Defense and Education mate. _ fit parent, a well-respected person Fund reports that The Colorado Court of Hamilton County prosecuter. Simon Leis in her community and advised the Appeals has upheld a ruling denying , said evidence will show that "pre-plan­ judge not to grant the adoption custody rights to a lesbian mother. ned deprogramming during the day consist­ petition. According to the court, the children ed of conversation, harassment, and However, in March of 1979 the could experience "peer relationship" yelling at her about her relationship judge granted the adoption. Accord- difficulties with a homosexual as a with Patty, and at night .of heterosexual ing to Jane Doe, "Pretty much a parent. intercourse to detract her from her verbatim statement (in the decision) However, the court was unable to in­ lesbianism and attract her to hetero- was that my op~n permanent lesbian dicate any evidence that.the children - sexual activity. 11 relationship would be severely 9amag­ were experiencing peer pressure or that Marita Riethmiller, the mother, claims ing to my son psychologically and they weren't well adjusted. that she did not know her daughter was emotionally, particularly in his forma­ Lambda called the decision 11 outra­ being raped every night of the six day On Dec. 4, the Virginia Supreme Court tive years. There was no evidence geous11, citing decisions granting custo­ ordeal: She is not accused of sexual handed down a landmark ruling in favor that my lesbianism would hurt my son, dy to a transsexual parent and an battery and assault, but the first indict- of an Ohio lesbian, reinstating her but that my lesbianism per se made me adulterous parent. +,a.-:- ment charges of kidnapping and abduction visitation rights with her son. Ac­ an unfit parent. 11 have not been dropped. ·claimed as a major gay right victory, The ruling of the Virginia Supreme Ted Patrick, Naomi Kelly, James Roe the court ruled that her lesbianism Court reverses the adoption and returns (the alledged rapist) and one man (still Lambda 11 11 did not preclude her right to parent Jane Doe to her former status--a non­ at large) known as Ray are all facing her child. custodial visiting parent. charges of assault, sexual battery; kid­ The battle has been a long standing Even though this landmark decision Receives Grant napping, and abduction at a Cincinnati, one in what has become known as the · favoring a gay person is a major yic­ Ohio trial scheduled for April 12th. tory for gay rights, Jane Doe's per­ The ~ew York University Public Inter­ Jane Doe case. The mother had custody est Law Foundation has awarded a of the son, even though no legal sonal battle is not over. The father --Compiled from GCN Ji-1 Cl ark has asked the Virginia Supreme Court $13,500 grant to the Lambda Legal De­ custody arrangement existed, from fense and Education Fund. Jan., 1982. 1972, when she separated from her hus­ to reconsider its decision which 1 reinstated Jane Doe's parental rights. According to Mom-Guess What, Dec. 81, band, unt i 1 1976. "The grant wi 1 lhel p fundamajor new In February 1976 the father, on the Furthermore, he has moved his family to South Carolina and the possibility. project of research and litigation pretext of taking the boy out to din­ against anti-gay legislation and at­ ner, took the boy to Virginia to live, exists that the mother could be forced to go through the state court there in tempts to cut off federal and state Advised by her attorney against - funds to gay and civil liberties organ- Murderers fighting for custody (because of her order to gain visitation rights again. According to ACLU lawyer, Marcia izations." . homosexuality}, she yielded custody The 1981 MacDonald amendment, which in August of 1976, but worked out Lowry, "The father is determined to drag this thing out for as long as prevents the Legal Services Corporation visitation rights of eight weeks ~ach to use Federal funds to "promote, pro-:­ surrmer and alternate Christmas and possible. But we're detel"!l1ined to keep Given trying." ,a.,a.-:-· tect or defend" homosexuality is a Easter vacations. major target for the project. The grant, one of the largest ever given to a lesbian and gay legal organ­ nd National Gay ization, will also aid in Lambda's participation in a national coalition Life project to defeat the Family Protection March Priest Act. Planned Removed The Second National March _on Washington Rev. Phil Scheiding has been placed on for Lesbian and Gay Rights is being plan­ an indefinite leav~ ~f absence following ned to take place on May 2, 1982. ·his public announcement that he is gay. The March is being called to resist the After the annbuncement was reported escalating attacks of the Reagan Admin­ by the Fort Lauderdale News-Sun Sen~inel, George Yacob, 19 and Dennis Flan­ istration, the US Congress and the far the Catholic church removed Scheiding nagan, 17 were convicted in a Philadel­ right, and will be accompanied by major from his church in Hialeah, FL and phia court last month of the brutal lobbying efforts. classified him as "pastorally unassign- murder of James Redman, a gay man from The National March office will temp­ able.11 _ Holland, PA. orarily operate ouf of Washington, D.C. Despite the fact that Rev. Scheiding - Ya cob and Flannagan were given 1 ife The demands of the March are: also told the paper that he still keeps sentences for the first degree murder * Stop the Fami 1y Protection Act . his vow of celibacy, his bishop has of 26-year ·old Redman. * Pass the National Gay Rights Bill removed him from his duties and forbid­ The two men strangled, punched and * Stop the discriminatory irrmigra- den him to celebrate Mass. stabbed Redman to death because, ac­ ti_on policy against lesbians and cording to a witness, they said 11 he However, Rev. Scheiding told Miami's 11 gays . gay newpaper, The Weekly News th~t .he was a fag. · * Pass S.157 to allow Zeneida is still "proud of his sexual or1enta­ They then -stole his car, dumping his Rebultan, a Filipano lesbian, to · tion.11 body in a nearby industrial park. inmigrate to the U.S. --Blade, Dec.'81 - Mom, Guess What --The Blade, Dec. 81' Dec. 1981 .
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