The Rorschach Headline

Quick, what do you think when you read... this:

Justices Protect Children of Calif. Gays

Wow, talk about a mirror to the psyche. What it could mean kind of depends on your perpsective, doesn't it?

What it means in this case is that the California Supreme Court ruled to affirm the parental rights of gays and lesbians.

The justices ruled for the first time that custody and child support laws that hold absent fathers accountable also apply to estranged gay and lesbian couples who used reproductive science to conceive.

Being a legal parent "brings with it the benefits as well as the responsibilities," said Justice Joyce Kennard.

The court's ruling, involving three separate cases, is the latest to recognize rights of same-sex couples.

Reactions?

Supporters of gay rights are, predictably, quite happy.

Emily B., an El Dorado County woman whose former lover must now pay to support the children following the court's ruling, said she might be able to get off of welfare now.


"I'm absolutely overjoyed today," she said.

Opponents of gay rights are, predictably, not quite so happy and not at all convinced that the ruling does anything to protect children.

Mathew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated: "Today's ruling defies logic and common sense. By saying that children can have two moms, the court has undermined the family. This ruling establishes a policy that essentially says moms and dads are mere surplus. Thousands of studies conclude that children need moms and dads, not two moms and two dads, but one of each. Gender does matter to children. Today's ruling underscores the importance of amending California's constitution to preserve marriage as one man and one woman. The people of California will not put up with such nonsense."