Judge orders man not to leave his children alone with his husband

TEXAS – A judge has told a man in Texas that he cannot leave his children in the care of his husband.

The man, William Flowers, had married Jim Evans in Connecticut early in 2011 and had later moved to Texas. Flowers who had fathered three children from a previous marriage to a woman then began proceedings to claim custody of the children. A court decided that Flowers’ ex-wife should retain custody but that he could continue with the same visitation rights he had before.

But County Associate Judge, Charley E Prine Jr., handed down a ruling which forbids Flowers from leaving the children alone with any man “not related by blood or adoption”, including his husband.

The controversial ruling ramps up inter-state tension on the issue of same-sex marriages as Texas does not recognize those. In November 2005, Texas voters passed an amendment to the state constitution outlawing both same-sex marriage and civil unions.

Jennifer Cochran, a Texas lawyer told the Houston Chronicle the order “strikes at the very heart of the fact that he’s gay … it’s judicial activism, legislating from the bench.”

Flowers intends to appeal.