Subject: Day 7 - The Trial GCNews
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 17:12:28 -0400

GCNews 9-18-96

THE TRIAL
COVERAGE DAILY OF THE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TRIAL IN HONOLULU BY GCNEWS AND GLEA
FOUNDATION 

The lawsuit’s creator and GLEA Foundation’s Executive Director, William Woods
will provide a daily report on KHVH Radio 830 AM at 6:30 AM.  The daily
report will begin on the second day of the trial.  It will report on the
previous and current days events and issues covered.  The report will include
Debi Hartman, spokesperson for Hawaii’s Future Today, an anti-same-sex
marriage organization.

GCNews will create daily reports for the electronic publication with larger
weekly editions each Wednesday.

DAY SEVEN:

   Day SEVEN is the third day of the plaintiff’s portion of the trial.  They
will have a total of four witnesses.  It is expected that the closing
arguments will be on Friday.
   Today’s witness was Dr. David Brodzinsky, associate professor of
developmental and clinical psychology at Rutgers University.  His focus was
children raised by lesbians, Gay men or same-sex couples and the development
of gender roles.  He has published 55 peer review articles, published a
number of books related to adoptions, children of same-sex couples, and other
subjects related to this trial.  He has been consultant for a number of high
profile trials such as:  Baby M, Baby Jessica, Woody Allen/Mia Farrow and
others.
   Each day of the trial the defense attorney, Rick Eichor has brought out
his position that All things being equal . . . children would be optimally
raised in a household with their biological parents.   Each day the witnesses
have given their professional opinion that Gay people can and do provide
successful rearing of children.  In fact, each day the witnesses have
seemingly been stronger in challenges to the premise and in actually saying
that his premise is altogether false, misleading and with no merit based on
available studies and professional experience.  When Dr. Brodzinsky made the
most substantial challenge to the state’s position, he stated also that
denying same-sex couples marriage was like punishment of the children because
they had Gay parents.  Eichor immediately stated: [Children of Gay couples
are] “ being punished by their parents by being placed in that situation.”
 GCNews asked Eichor following the session if this was the state’s position
in this case?  He first declined comment then stated that “you can see the
situation that they are putting the state in by pursuing this case.”  He was
also asked if this was the same attitude and argument against children born
outside of legal marriage (illegitimate)?  They were also punished and denied
legal benefits based upon the characteristics of their parents.  The
government was not supporting their optimal development either.  No comment
from Eichor.
   Statements made by or agreed to by Dr. Brodzinsky:
1.  “Sexual orientation per se should have no basis for cases related to
parenting or custody.” 
2.  “Almost all children do very well who are adopted.”
3.  “Adoption may actually benefit children.”  “Better than raised in
institution care, foster care, or reared in non-supportive families.”
4.  “Adoption promotes their optional development.”
5.  “How adoptive parents are better parents:  They are strengthened by
adversity, more preparation in parenting, and are quicker to use professional
services if problems appear.”
6.  “Sexual orientation does not limit capabilities to be good parents.”
7.  When asked if there was increased psychological risk for children of
same-sex couples, he answered, “No.”
8.  In all the studies reviewed there were “no trends showing same-sex
couples doing worse.  Some actually showing better parenting.”  “There was no
substantial differences with same-sex couples parenting.”
9.  “The state’s position is offensive.  The state should use information to
support and promote parenting, not to be punitive.”
10.  “All things are never equal.  Does not take into consideration key
variables essential for parenting.  Structure is not key issue to good
parenting.”
11.   “We use information to improve support for adoptive parents, not to
deny adoptions.”
12.  “The state’s position is lacking on logic, data, and statistics.”
13.  Responding again to “all things being equal .  . .”  Dr. Brodzinsky
stated: “cannot be dealt with.  Cannot answer question - We do not have that
data - We don’t have that information - My clinical experience emphasizes
that quality of parenting is much more important to parenting.”
   GCNews is producing daily reports of the trial.   Our reporter has been in
the courtroom from the first gavel.  If you have missed a day of the report,
please contact us at [email-masked] and we will send a copy of that day’s
report directly to you.
   GCNews requests your input on future daily reports.  Should you have
questions that you would like posed to any of the principals in the trial,
please direct them to GCNews at: EMAIL: [email-masked] or call us at
(808) 532-9000.

 Reports every day of the trial.  If you did not get a day, please send
message requesting it.