Dawn Stefanowicz Amicus Brief
Dawn Stefanowicz Amicus Brief
No. 14-50196
_________________________________________
PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES;
v.
DEFENDANTS-APPELLANTS.
____________________________________________
David Boyle
P.O. Box 15143
Long Beach, CA 90815
(734) 904-6132
[email protected]
Counsel for Amicus Curiae B.N. Klein
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certifies that the following listed persons and entities as described in the fourth
sentence of Rule 28.2.1 have an interest in the outcome of this case. These
representations are made in order that the judges of this court may evaluate
APPELLANTS:
(APPELLANTS’ ATTORNEYS:
Kyle D. Highful
Michael P. Murphy
APPELLEES:
i
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(APPELLEES’ ATTORNEYS:
Jessica M. Weisel
Michael P. Cooley
This list does not include the various amici in the case, especially since they are
not parties or parties’ attorneys, and the list of amici is growing. However, if
corporation, or any publicly held corporation that owns 10% or more of stock of
s/David Boyle
ii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES……………………………………………………....iv
ARGUMENT……………………………….…….…………………...….………...2
CONCLUSION………….…………………………….…………………...……..29
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE……………………………………………………30
iii
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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
CASES
De Leon v. Perry, No. 14-50196 (No. 5:13-cv-982, 975 F. Supp. 2d 632 (W.D.
RULES
OTHER AUTHORITIES
C-38, Royal Assent: 20 July 2005. Statutes of Canada S.C. 2005, c. 33,
http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/LegislativeSummaries/bills_ls.asp?ls=c38
iv
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http://mftprogress.blogspot.ca/2009/07/camft-director-apologies-for-
Scott James, Many Successful Gay Marriages Share an Open Secret, New York
National Health and Social Life Survey (1994), in E.O. Laumann, et al, The Social
adulthood, Social Science & Medicine, 56, 1607-1615. …………………24 & n.18
NARTH, Book Review of Robert Lerner, Ph.D. and Nagia, Althea, Ph.D., No
Basis: What the studies Don’t tell us about same-sex parenting. Marriage Law
v
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Nock Aff. ¶ 3, Halpern v. Attorney General of Canada, No. 684/00 (Ont. Sup. Ct.
Walter Olson, By reader acclaim: “Man Sues Over Gay Marriage Question On
http://overlawyered.com/2007/07/by-reader-acclaim-man-sues-over-gay-marriage-
vi
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David Popenoe, Life Without Fathers: Compelling Evidence that Fatherhood and
Amended Declaration of Sharon Quick, M.D., expert witness in the Iowa District
college-speaks/for-policy-makers/marriage-rights-for-homosexual-couples-not-the-
Mark Regnerus, How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0049089X12000610...
Mark Regnerus, A Married Mom and Dad Really Do Matter: New Evidence from
vii
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……………………………………………………………………………...……..35
Ruth A.M. Ross, lawyer, Let the Little Children …Three Parent Case 1 Update,
Parenting (Redemption Press, April 1, 2014 and Kindle, Redemption Press, June
16, 2014)…………………………...……………………………………………….1
http://www.dawnstefanowicz.org/documents/INTERVIEWSwithDawnS_009.pdf)
……………………………………………………………………………………2-3
Australia
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Co
nstitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2008-10/marriage_equality/report/index
viii
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Witness, Dawn Stefanowicz, Bill C-250, to amend the Criminal Code (hate
Constitutional Affairs, Issue 4 - Evidence for March 17, 2004, Ottawa, Canada
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/373/lega/04eva-
e.htm?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=3&comm_id=11
Brief Submitted by Dawn Stefanowicz, Bill C-22, an act to amend the Criminal
Records Act, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, House of
Commons, April 17, 2007, Number 060, 1st Session, 39th Parliament, Ottawa,
Canada.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2834262&Lang
uage=E&Mode=1
http://dawnstefanowicz.org/docs/R000326-DawnTMY.pdf
http://www.voteonmarriage.org/leghearing.shtml#dawn ..………..also 22
http://www.dawnstefanowicz.org/ourstories.htm......................................1-2, 11-12
ix
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Andy Towle, “GLAAD Issues Call To Action Over FX Networks’ 30 Days,” June
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3066930/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t16 …..……………..21
MD, FAAP, Leah M. Willson, MD, FAAP, Vicki Tucci, Esq., Letter to the
Editor: The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on
college-speaks/for-policy-makers/marriage-rights-for-homosexual-couples-not-the-
best-for-children
……………………..……………………………………...………..32
Judith Wallerstein, et al., The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A25 Year Landmark
x
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Wright RH, Cummings NA, editors. Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The
Well-Intentioned Path to Harm. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis
xi
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Defendants/Appellants Rick Perry, et al., to ask that Texas respect the original
definition of marriage as between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all
others. My interest in this case, De Leon v. Perry, No. 14-50196 (No. 5:13-cv-982,
975 F. Supp. 2d 632 (W.D. Tex. Feb. 12, 2014)), is for three key reasons. Firstly,
my father, his same-sex sexual partners and associated gay, lesbian, bisexual and
Secondly, my interest in this case is due to the review of the (mostly flawed)
households.
Years ago, I began communications with adult children with a gay or lesbian
parent – most adult children wanted to remain anonymous. Adult children marked
1
I wrote the vast majority of this brief without help from any other party or its
counsel, though my own counsel gave editing, formatting, or other help at the end;
and no party or its counsel gave money to its writing or submission, see Fed. R.
App. P. 29. All parties have filed blanket permission with the Court for amicae/i to
write briefs.
2
Dawn Stefanowicz, author of Out From Under: The Impact of Homosexual
Parenting (Redemption Press, April 1, 2014 and Kindle, Redemption Press, June
16, 2014).
1
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their stories to my website since 2006: Lee Taylor*, Debbie Smith*, Mitzy
Charles Mitchell, Suzanne Cook* and Nathan Bell*. (See our stories at
ARGUMENT
the research on marriage and parenting as well as communications with other adult
who had same-sex relationships. Due to the long-term negative impact experienced
by these children, the widespread political correctness and silencing about the
I thank the Court for this opportunity, by the way. I would like to mention that I
and living arrangements. I here address the impact of legislation affecting children,
3
For some information about me as media guest, see INTERVIEWS with Dawn,
http://www.dawnstefanowicz.org/documents/INTERVIEWSwithDawnS_009.pdf.
2
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and I have advocated for children and families, pertaining to marriage, parenting,
crime legislation in 2004 and have spoken to a wide range of groups. And I have
Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Issue 4 - Evidence for March 17, 2004,
Ottawa, Canada;5
4
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and
_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2008-10/marriage_equality/report/
index.
5
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/373/lega/04eva-e.htm?Language
=E&Parl=37&Ses=3&comm_id=11.
3
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Justice and Human Rights, House of Commons, April 17, 2007, Number
I was born in Toronto, Canada and grew up with a homosexual father, his same-
sex sexual partners, exposed to the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender)
I am always compassionate towards men and women who struggle with their
6
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2834262
&Language=E&Mode=1.
7
http://dawnstefanowicz.org/docs/R000326-DawnTMY.pdf.
8
http://www.voteonmarriage.org/leghearing.shtml#dawn.
4
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male sexual partners. Though my father initially married my ill and passive
mother, it was during my infancy that my father brought boyfriends into our home,
one who lived with us until I was almost six. Both my twin brother and I were
sexually abused by our dad. By age 3, I unconsciously turned away from Dad to
look for a substitute for father’s love, and in later years, looked for boyfriends.
Along with nightmares and a major speech impediment for 7 years, sleepless
unworthy of love. Peer relationships were difficult for me. It was constantly
stressful around my father and his partners. Dad spent most of his attention on his
For a little girl to grow up in a gay home and GLBT subcultures damages her
sense of femininity and budding womanhood. Women are not the primary
recipients of love and kindness; male and female are not considered equal and
necessary.
ate in our home, and they took me along to meeting places in the GLBT
5
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pornography, group sex, sadomasochism and the ilk. There was no guarantee that
any of my Dad’s partners would be around for long, and yet I often had to obey
At nine, I was deeply grieved to find out that two of my father’s partners
committed suicide after Dad rejected them. Even Dad was suicidal and used
When I was about nine, Dad took me to the downtown sex shop, and to see the
work of gay artists, which sometimes symbolized phallic art. He’d take me to nude
beaches and public parks where gay men met. If the police were coming, they’d tip
one another off and stop sexual activity. The gay community was quite informed
about their meeting places for sex across North America, including: public
beaches, gay bars, bathhouses, mall restrooms, back alleys, gyms or even parks
where children played. My father cruised all over Canada. He also loved coming to
the United States for vacationing and cruising; his favorite cities included San
This was before the Internet age’s “online gay hookup” or “cruising” sites,
6
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near his downtown office where he could meet someone for quick sex. My father
liked well-dressed, “clean-cut” men, who were about 10 years younger than he
was.
Once, when I was in the 10th grade, my father attended my school’s band
performance briefly. I saw his eyes widen when he saw all the teenage boys
performing on the stage with me. He suddenly disappeared. I was heartbroken that
At times, my father would tell me what to wear to dress provocatively and we’d
go out cruising. I didn’t like being treated as an object, but I wanted to spend time
with him. Ultimately I was seeking his love and acceptance. I was not allowed to
freely question him, bring up moral arguments, or hurt his feelings, or I would face
long-term repercussions.
The dangerous road my father and his sexual partners walked included: mental
partners committed suicide when relationships soured. They often had alcohol and
drug addictions and were isolated from family members. Many of them had
sexually-transmitted diseases, lost many partners, had shortened lives and died of
7
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It was not a safe place for children. As a child, you’re at high risk of exposure
shared utensils and dishes, toothbrushes, linens and towels. As a little girl, I picked
up whatever razor was left lying around in our washroom and began shaving my
Gay sex is messy. I would see and sometimes launder dirty bed sheets, covered
with sperm, feces and lubricant; on occasion. I never saw condoms. During my
teens, I became ill for a few years; and my father sent me to a medical specialist
who treated gay men. My blood was tested; afterwards, I was told to rest.
A few years ago, I told my physician about my father. My doctor sent me for
extensive blood tests required for high risk groups, such as gay men and
My father said that one or more of his partners may sexually abuse my brothers;
yet, my father continued coming home with different men. It was normal practice
for gay men to approach young adolescent males for sex. When I brought home a
14-year-old male friend, my father and his boyfriend approached him for sex.
8
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Different men would come to live or visit with us for a time. They had sex all
over the house: in the washroom, hallway, my brothers and my bedrooms, and the
A fatherless 18-year-old artist came to live with us (my father also had sex with
his younger brother who weeks later committed suicide). They’d go out cruising.
Men came home for group sex. My younger brother, unable to cope, was in trouble
My twin brother witnessed a lot, including group sex and gay porn. By his late
teens, he attempted suicide. Growing up, these events harmed us in many ways. I
had a twisted view of sexuality, gender, marriage and did not want to marry or
have children. While still a girl, it seemed better if I had been born a boy—Dad
even encouraged me to dress manly and wear men’s cologne. I felt very stressed
and afraid. I never knew what my father and his partners would do next, where
they would go or who they would meet up with. His relationships were unstable.
Even when partnered, my father and his partner would still cruise for sex with
other men.
reached out to my father. My father shared more than I was allowed to share. We
would talk on the phone until he was too tired to speak. Our visits were emotional
for me, especially the last one. I was able to hold his hand while restraining tears,
9
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speak a few words, until it became unbearable. My father died of AIDS in 1991.
A few years ago, I reviewed comments from six adult daughters of gay fathers.
unimportant as there were no custody disputes and they were no longer dependent
children. They had no need to support a gay ideology. However, while growing up,
one had to go along with what father wanted to please him, and be with him, and it
Daughters were careful to not anger or hurt their fathers’ feelings. Even today,
if a father is still alive, caution is taken in conversations to ensure fathers are not
suppressing and or lying about their real feelings. The daughters are careful about
bringing their children around their father, as some fathers were sexually abusive.
One daughter could not bring her children around her father because he directed a
“gay” youth drop-in centre in a major city in California, and he was having sex
reasons why they suffered. Rather, fathers’ sexual choices and partnerships were
10
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named. None expressed a need for social tolerance; instead, daughters expressed a
feeling of being alone and desire to connect with other adult children.
Often, daughters felt a sense of abandonment, that they were not valued and
problems with trust and intimacy. Fathers seem oblivious to these deep-seated
The average age of adult daughters of gay fathers who contacted me was the
40’s. Sometimes the impact on siblings is mentioned. Some daughters and their
have often dealt with their fathers’ manipulation, control and threats and may still
today. Daughters tended to please as dependents but once they had a greater level
from a father’s control, even if deprived of some level of a relationship with him or
Overall, daughters seek wholeness and some level of reconciliation with their
expressed that their fathers understood their true thoughts and feelings.
and independence apart from our GLBT parent, partners and the subcultures.
We are often forced to approve and tolerate all forms of expressed sexuality,
The varied family forms, living arrangements and imposing cultural values play
restrictive categories for research purposes, especially for gay parenting studies.
different residences.
As well, parental marital status can vary and include: a. single, b. cohabiting
widowed.
12
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during some or all of our childhoods. Thus, children may have lived with one or
more parent(s) and/or one or more parental sexual partner(s) in one or more
residential settings.
Imagine what it is like for a child to have more than two parents, which includes
your father’s and/or mother’s new sexual partner(s) who may go before the court to
(who do not get along or talk with each other) based on your parents’ current and
You end up never having a real home. Your childhood is divided to please the
adults (whether or not they are called your “parents”). Now, these adults have
argued about where you live, who you visit, what schools you attend, which
doctors you see, what medical procedures you have, what faith/religion you
practice, et cetera. You are often forced, against your conscience, to call dad’s or
other “legal” parents and dad’s and/or mom’s past and current sexual partners.
My father had a lot of sexual partners, some of whom lived in our home. Other
lovers only visited, staying for meals and overnights. At least three of my father’s
partners could have requested to be my “legal” parents, since they had some care-
taking role in my everyday life, even if that meant cooking, cleaning or providing a
tip for homework or babysitting, similar to what an auntie or grandma would do.
Thus, there were often varied parental sexual partnerships, family structures,
residential settings and cultural values during our upbringing. Though fostering
and adoption are ways we can enter gay households, most of us were conceived
them of their biological mother and/or biological father. Children lose forever
knowing and relating to their natural mom and/or dad. Children’s identity and
security are robbed. What child does not need to know his or her biological
physical appearance, medical history, disposition, ethnic and religious origins and
other qualities)? When biological parents’ are reduced to just egg and sperm
donors, children are purposely deprived of their right to their natural father, natural
14
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gay marriage law, Bill C-38,9 included a provision to erase the term “natural
parent” and replace it across the board with gender-neutral “legal parent” in federal
law. Now, all children have “legal parents,” as defined by the state, which means
parental rights are have been usurped by the government. Thus, it is a lie when you
hear, “Permitting same-sex couples access to the designation of marriage will not
deprive anyone of any rights.” In effect, same-sex marriage permits state powers to
override the autonomy of biological parents and deprives children of their own
article, and all other articles opposed to same-sex marriage from their summer
edition 2009, after activists became agitated and threatened action. To satiate the
9
BILL C-38: THE CIVIL MARRIAGE ACT, LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF
BILL C-38, Royal Assent: 20 July 2005. Statutes of Canada S.C. 2005, c. 33,
available at http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/LegislativeSummaries/
bills_ls.asp?ls=c38&Parl=38&Ses=1.
15
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activists, CAMFT reprinted the same summer magazine edition but without the
After providing a review copy of my book, Out From Under, to the purchaser
for a large national chain local bookstore, and following up, the purchaser never
replied back. Yet, this local store had a whole section of pro-gay books and
the Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is,11 she had
mentioned to an interviewer (who also interviewed me) that her book was edited to
not offend their parents and partners. It made me wonder how children of gay
parents can actually tell it like it is, if their words are censored?
If anything hurts the feelings of our GLBT parent(s) and their partners, does not
support same-sex marriage and parenting, it is often edited out of books, essays,
and same-sex parenting studies. There are incentives available to teens to stay
10
Psychotherapy Notes, CAMFT director apologies for articles opposing same-sex
marriage, in the summer issue of the Therapist, July 1, 2009,
http://mftprogress.blogspot.ca/2009/ 07/camft-director-apologies-for-articles.html.
11
http://familieslikemine.com/.
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parent, is “out” as a teen, and or has performed a few years of political activism.12
A few years ago, the Tyra Banks Show contacted me, looking for a person who
was pro-gay and raised by a gay parent. When they found out my views, I was
disqualified as a potential guest. I have been censored in other print, radio and
television interviews.
Days (Same-sex Parenting, aired June 24, 2008), and most of my interview with
Morgan Spurlock was edited out, leaving less than 3 minutes of airing at the
beginning of the program with the rest of the program about 2 gay men raising 4
adopted boys and a woman who chose to live with them for 30 days, who opposed
same-sex parenting. And, yet, GLAAD was extremely upset and asked that 30
Days pull out all 3 minutes of the material questioning gay parenting.13
My voice has been censored numerous times in Canada. For example, after
speaking with two producers of two different television programs, they told me
12
Kathy Belge, About.com, Top 10 LGBT Scholarships - Top College
Scholarships for LGBT Students, http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/youth/
tp/Scholarships.htm.
13
Andy Towle, GLAAD Issues Call To Action Over FX Networks’ 30 Days,
Towleroad, June 25, 2008, http://www.towleroad.com/2008/06/glaad-issued-
a.html, and cast of 30 Days, Same-sex Parenting:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3066930/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t16.
17
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Commission (FCC), after my story had been aired on their television programs.
Due to the pressure from gay activists, CRTC’s investigations and threats of
charge and/or a human rights commission fine, I was banned from being a guest,
even though I had shared my testimony gently. Even in Dublin, Ireland in 2008,
while on a major live radio broadcast, the host turned off my volume whenever he
I have been verbally attacked, called vulgar names through hate-filled e-mails,
such as the following: “You are incredibly wrong and promoting hate. You are a
homophobe!”; “You are full of *#&%!”; “…a new, despicably creative way to
spread hate …”; and “…homophobic bigots that cause more harm to society…”
And, hateful e-mails from adults like this, “I hope that your site is shut down on
the basis of anti-hate laws.” They’ve actually tried to institute laws in Canada
politically incorrect. Hate crime law and Human Rights Commissions currently
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Activists have also sent me e-mails threatening physical violence and death:
minded views …”; “I find you cruel”; and “…kill you…” It is no wonder that I
fear for my own life and family. I have needed security and or police presence at
most of my speaking venues due to the unsafe atmosphere created by gay activists.
Again, I have spoken in-person throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico,
I am not alone. An adult man, raised in a gay household, contacted me, asking
for help. He feared for his life while residing in an American gay neighborhood.
He wanted badly to get out of the business of providing raunchy gay porn websites
but knew his gay sex partners would turn on him and even kill him, if he dared
leave.
confusion. Most adult children from gay households do not feel safe or free to
publicly express their stories and life-long challenges; they fear losing professional
licenses, not obtaining employment in their chosen field, being cut off from some
14
Dawn C. Stefanowicz, Pub. Hr’g of the Judiciary Committee on the Marriage
Amend., Apr. 11, 2006, Boston, Mass. http://www.voteonmarriage.
org/leghearing.shtml#dawn.
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family members or losing whatever relationship they have with their gay parent(s).
Some gay parents have threatened to leave no inheritance, if the children don’t
Some adult children find it too painful to share their traumatic memories and
The special-interest GLBT groups and so-called support groups for kids
sometimes act, or function, as fronts for a far darker side that silences, intimidates
and threatens the children who want to share the truth, allowing only a politically-
political and legal objectives toward same-sex marriage, ignoring the horrendous
inequality, permanent losses and prejudice to children in the name of adult sexual
rights. Children lose forever their rights to know and be raised by their married
Marrying and having children are not fundamental human rights or “civil
rights” for everyone. There are necessary unique intrinsic values, responsibilities
and obligations in man-woman marriage which benefit children and society which
The adult children I have heard from do not support the false notion of
20
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while denying the physical, emotional and psychological harms to children. At the
same time, activists claim victim status while wielding totalitarian control, by legal
and legislative means, to silence speech, religious and or moral disapproval and
conscience rights. The special interest-groups attempt to tell decision makers and
the public that there is no harm to children, often by using dependent children,
teens and young adults who have not yet left the extraordinary bullying influences
institutions. Most often, politically incorrect research is not funded and articles are
not published in professional journals. Doctors Wright & Cummings, both leaders
political agenda, state the following in their book, Destructive Trends in Mental
Health:15
15
Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm (NA
Cummings & RH Wright eds.), New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis
Group, 2005.
21
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Unfortunately, some legal bar associations have not passed students if they hold
Some people think GLBT households look like heterosexual versions. The facts
are that the GLBT subcultures do not look at marriage in the same way.
A New York Times article provides a glimpse into why. Scott James wrote Many
Successful Gay Marriages Share an Open Secret (Jan. 28, 2010),17 expressing how
gay couples are open to sex outside their relationships, see id. In fact, research
shows that more than 50% of male same-sex relationships will have multiple
16
Walter Olson, By reader acclaim: “Man Sues Over Gay Marriage Question On
Bar Exam”, July 7, 2007, http://overlawyered.com/2007/07/by-reader-acclaim-
man-sues-over-gay-marriage-question-on-bar-exam/.
17
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/us/29sfmetro.html?_r=2.
22
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which upholds monogamy for the benefit of children and society. The GLBT
Many social science studies show that children raised in man-woman married
households have better outcomes than children who are raised in step-parented and
single-parented households. And when you review same-sex parenting studies, you
find they are replete with methodological flaws, small sample sizes, research bias,
participant bias and funding bias. No same-sex parenting studies fit all these
online and through support groups. Most of the same-sex parenting studies involve
“lesbians” are recruited for the studies while less consideration is given to the often
23
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poorer heterosexual single mothers. There are cases where the same participants
are used in different studies. Often, the conclusions of these studies are politically
correct, to improve opportunities for custody cases while the conclusions do not
Where children are asked questions, the questions are usually vague; the
dependent children are often critical of the parent and their living arrangements;
however, the dependent child minimizes his pain so as to not offend the parent.
participants. These reports do not consider the fact that most men and women who
say they are gay or lesbian have had and will have heterosexual sexual contact,
Dr. Steven Nock, research methodologist, at the request of the Attorney General
which “contained at least one fatal flaw of design or execution and not a single one
18
Nat’l Health and Soc. Life Survey (1994), in E. O. Laumann, et al., The Social
Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, Chicago
(University of Chicago Press, pp. 294-296); Nigel Dickson, C. Paul, P. Herbison,
Same-sex attraction in a birth cohort: prevalence and persistence in early
adulthood, 56 Soc. Sci. & Med. 56 1607-1615 (2002).
24
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scientific research.”19
When clinical psychologists Dr. Mark Lerner and Dr. Althea Nagai reviewed 49
same-sex parenting studies, all were found unreliable and the sample sizes too
parenting studies, she found major design flaws, interpretive errors and
unsupported conclusions. The studies’ conclusions, which stated that there were no
often contradicted the findings and comments, raising concerns about the well-
being of children with parents with same-sex attraction and behavior. Further
Marriage Act.21
19
Nock Aff. ¶ 3, Halpern v. Att’y Gen. of Canada, No. 684/00 (Ont. Sup. Ct. of
Justice).
20
NARTH, Book Review of Robert Lerner, Ph.D. and Nagia, Althea, Ph.D., No
Basis: What the studies don’t tell us about same-sex parenting. Marriage Law
Project, Washington D.C., Jan. 2001, http://www.narth.org/docs/lernernagai.html.
21
Amended Decl. of Sharon Quick, M.D., expert witness in the Iowa District Court
For Polk County, familywatchinternational.org/fwi/Quickexpertwitnessstatement.
pdf.
25
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the flawed July 2006 Special Report The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and
directly from the 2002 Technical Report,23 a Technical Report which has 57% of
its quotations incorrectly referenced. Yet, special interest groups have used this
July 2006 Special Report to win same-sex civil partnerships, marriage, and
adoption in both legislative and court decisions in North America and around the
world.
Report and wrote a letter to the Editor of the AAP, expressing its opposition to
22
http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/for-policy-makers/marriage-rights-
for-homosexual-couples-not-the-best-for-children.
23
Ellen C. Perrin, American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Psychosocial
Aspects of Child and Family Health. Coparent or second-parent adoption by same-
sex parents. 109 Pediatrics 339–340 (2002), available at http://pediatrics.
aappublications.org/content/109/2/341.full.
24
Marriage Rights for Homosexual Couples: Not Best for Children
Critique of AAP Special Report - Den A. Trumbull, MD., Joseph R. Zanga, MD,
FAAP, Leah M. Willson, MD, FAAP, Vicki Tucci, Esq., Letter to the Editor: The
Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health
and Well-being of Children: In Reply http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-
26
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2005 policy paper. None of the studies which were cited in the APA’s publication
parents and their children. In fact, only 4 of the 59 studies met the APA's standard
marriages. 26
Mark Regnerus’ peer-reviewed article, How Different Are the Adult Children of
Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family
original population of 15,000 adult children), including those in which a child was
raised by a parent who had had a same-sex romantic relationship. Regnerus finds
speaks/for-policy-makers/marriage-rights-for-homosexual-couples-not-the-best-
for-children.
25
Loren Marks, Louisiana State University, Same-sex parenting and children’s
outcomes: A closer examination of the American Psychological Association’s brief
on lesbian and gay parenting, Soc. Sci. Res. 41 (2012) 735-751.
26
David Popenoe, Life Without Fathers: Compelling Evidence that Fatherhood
and Marriage Are Indispensible for the Good of Children144, 146 (Cambridge:
Harv. Univ. Press, 1996); Judith Wallerstein, et al., The Unexpected Legacy of
Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study (New York: Hyperion, 2000).
27
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that the “intact biological family” (IBF), headed by a man and woman married to
each other throughout the raising of their own children, is indeed the “most secure
Children raised by a parent who had been involved with someone of the same
sex are, to a significant degree, more likely to record, in their own estimation in
depression, suicidal ideation, feelings of being unsafe, need for therapy, greater
risk of sexual abuse and or forced sexual acts against their will, higher risk of
outcomes.
28
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of IBFs. Note that only 1 in every 17 children of “gay” parents actually lives with a
same-sex couple.27
Finally, the Canadian census supports the social science that finds that children
do best when they are raised by their married, biological mother and father.28
CONCLUSION
I ask that the Court support that marriage needs to remain a societal foundation
between the husband and the wife for the welfare of their biological children and
society. Thus, I respectfully ask the Court to reverse the judgment of the court
below; and humbly thank the Court for its time and consideration.
s/David Boyle
P.O. Box 15143
Long Beach, CA 90815
(734) 904-6132
[email protected]
Counsel for Amicus Curiae Dawn Stefanowicz
27
Mark Regnerus, How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have
Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study, 41 Soc.
Sci. Res. 752–770 (July 2012), available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/
science/article/pii/S0049089X12000610.
28
Mark Regnerus, A Married Mom and Dad Really Do Matter: New Evidence
from Canada, The Witherspoon Inst., Oct. 2013, http://www.thepublicdiscourse.
com/2013/10/10996/.
29
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned certifies that he electronically filed the foregoing with the
Clerk of the Court for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by
He also certifies that all parties or their counsel of record will be served through
Jonathan F. Mitchell
Kyle D. Highful
Beth Klusmann
Michael P. Murphy
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
P.O. Box 12548 (MC 059)
Austin, Texas 78711-2548
(512) 936-1700
30
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s/David Boyle
P.O. Box 15143
Long Beach, CA 90815
(734) 904-6132
[email protected]
Counsel for Amicus Curiae Dawn Stefanowicz
The undersigned also certifies that on August 4, 2014, this brief was transmitted
to Mr. Lyle W. Cayce, Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
gov/.
The undersigned further certifies that: (1) required privacy redactions have been
made, 5th Cir. R. 25.2.13, if any in fact were needed; (2) the electronic submission
is an exact copy of the paper document, 5th Cir. R. 25.2.1; and (3) the document
has been scanned with the most recent version of McAfee Anti-Virus and Anti-
s/David Boyle
31
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32(a)(7)(B) because:
X this brief contains 6073words, excluding the parts of the brief exempted by
□ this brief uses a monospaced typeface and contains [state the number of] lines
32(a)(7)(B)(iii).
2. This brief complies with the typeface requirements of FED. R. APP. P. 32(a)(5)
X this brief has been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using 2010
□ this brief has been prepared in a monospaced typeface using [state name and
version of word processing program] with [state number of characters per inch and
s/David Boyle
32
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33
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Sincerely,
LYLE W. CAYCE, Clerk
By: _________________________
Renee S. McDonough, Deputy Clerk
504-310-7673
cc:
Mr. Ralph Joseph Aucoin Sr.
Mr. Richard Arthur Bordelon
Mr. Barry Alan Chasnoff
Mr. Michael P. Cooley
Ms. Deborah Jane Dewart
Mr. Stuart Kyle Duncan
Mr. William C. Duncan
Mr. Thomas Molnar Fisher
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