In Tennessee, a divorced woman with custody of her child is restricted, by the court, from having any lover stay the night -- in this case, a lesbian
-- From "Divorced Tenn. mother appeals night ban on partner" Associate Press 12/24/08
A same-sex couple is asking the Tennessee Court of Appeals to lift a judge's restriction in a child custody agreement that prevents the divorced mother's partner of nine years from staying overnight.
The Tennessean reports The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief Tuesday with the Court of Appeals in Jackson on behalf of Angel Chandler, a divorced mother with two kids.
"This decision has been disruptive to our family," Chandler said. "We lived together in a stable, functioning family, and this was rather shocking to all of us. This is about the person we choose to be with. The judge decided to interfere, and it's had a very negative affect in our lives."
ACLU spokesman Paul Cates said the clause primarily affects lesbians and gays with children because same-sex civil unions are not recognized in Tennessee. Heterosexual couples can circumvent the [restriction] by getting married, Cates said.
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