By John Mack Freeman
A judge in Utah has reversed his order that removed a foster child from a same-sex couple that had been caring for the child.
Initially, Judge Scott N. Johansen of Utah’s Juvenile Court this past Tuesday that removed the child from the couple’s home because he stated “it is not in the best interest of children to be raised by same-sex couples.” In his revised order, this line of debunked reasoning was removed from his argument. However, despite the fact that the child is allowed to remain with her foster parents for the next month, a hearing has been set for December 9th to determine “the best interests of the child.”
Via Advocate.com:
April Hoagland and Beckie Pierce, who legally married in October 2014, have cared for the child for the past three months in their home in Pierce, Utah. They were planning to legally adopt the girl, with the support of the child’s birth mother, the child’s state-appointed attorney, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. There were no allegations of neglect or wrongdoing on the part of the foster parents, and even Utah’s Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said he was “confused” about why Judge Johansen had ordered the child removed from the home.
Judge Johansen, who The Salt Lake Tribune reported has repeatedly been reprimanded by the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission for “demeaning the judicial office,” claimed to have research proving children are better off when raised by heterosexual parents. In reality, all credible major studies show that a parent’s sexual orientation has no effect on a child’s social development and mental health.
