Michigan

A female Michigan couple tests the boundaries of parental custody - with a lawsuit brought by the non-biological mother of their daughter and twin boys.

It's a battle that may reach the Michigan Supreme Court - and possibly secure joint custody rights for nonbiological, unmarried partners, gay or straight.

The Detroit Free Press reports:

The AP reports that voters in three states will decide this fall on whether to reverse gay rights initiatives ranging from anti-discrimination measures to marriage benefits.

In Maine, voters will decide whether or not to uphold the state's legalization of same-sex marriage. In Washington state, a so-called "everything but marriage" law that expands the state's current domestic partnership law will be on the ballot. And in Kalamazoo, Mich., voters will decide on an ordinance that prohibits discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals.

The Detroit News reports on a landmark Michigan appeals court ruling that not only protects all the children of the state's gay parents but also stands as an important legal guidepost for courts elsewhere. The appeals court affirmed that the U.S.

The AP reports that Michigan courts can oversee a custody dispute between lesbian parents who adopted in Illinois even though Michigan doesn't formally recognize gay relationships.

The court ruled 2-1 that the U.S. Constitution requires Michigan courts to recognize Diane Giancaspro and Lisa Congleton as adoptive parents. It reversed a trial judge who said Michigan's 2004 voter-approved gay marriage ban kept her from enforcing the women's parental rights.

The Fairness Campaign is opposing Kentucky Senate Bill 68 [sponsored by state Sen. Gary Tapp, R-Shelbyville] that would bar gay and lesbian couples from adopting children.

The AP reports that the measure would allow children to be placed only in adoptive or foster homes with people who "are not cohabiting outside of a marriage that is legally valid in Kentucky."

The following video shows what can happen when constitutional amendments are passed. Tom and Dennis Patrick lost their joint health benefits when Michigan passed an amendment to "protect" families. The Patrick family lost their shared health insurance after Michigan's attorney general ruled that state employees could no longer share benefits.

The Convention & Visitors Bureau describes Saugatuck and Douglas as "harbor villages that celebrate diversity". And the area is populated with liberal-minded voters who rejected a recent vote to ban gay marriage. This month Saugatuck/Douglas is preparing for a six-day gathering for dozens of gay and lesbian families by hanging rainbow flags in the downtown area.