Archives: In the Media

Back story: Pidgeon case on spousal benefits for same-sex couples dismissed

Newly-elected Judge Sonya L. Heath of the 310th District Court of Harris County dismissed the Pidgeon case last week after ruling on competing final motions for summary judgment by either party. In 2013, the Houston Mayor directed that the City provide employee benefits to spouses in same-sex marriages, the same as spouses in heterosexual marriages. … Continue Reading

ABA Opinion on Judicial Ethics in Performing Same-Sex Marriages

By Michelle O'Neil on February 19, 2019 Posted in In the Media, Marriage, Uncategorized

The American Bar Association’s Standing committee on Ethics released a formal opinion last week on guidance for judges performing same-sex marriage: In wake of landmark decision, ABA issues guidance for judges performing same-sex marriages. Their guidance interprets the Model Code of Judicial Conduct. The Formal Opinion 485 incorporates procedures and policies developed for judges in … Continue Reading

Will you be my LGBT Valentine?

By Michelle O'Neil on February 14, 2019 Posted in In the Media

Love is for everybody. It’s a nice thought. But sort through the greeting cards at literally any store and the chances of finding something queer-themed, or even remotely non-heterosexual, is going to be low, low, low. It doesn’t feel nice to be left out. So, here’s a website with download-and-print Valentine’s Day cards, classic e-Card style. … Continue Reading

Equal Parent Benefits for All Couples

By Karri Bertrand on April 4, 2018 Posted in In the Media, LGBT Legal Cases, LGBT parenting issues, Marriage, Uncategorized

Suzan and Kimberly McLaughlin, a married lesbian couple, conceived a child using artificial insemination with an anonymous donor in 2011. When the parties later separated in 2013, Kimberly began restricting Suzan’s access to the child. Suzan filed a lawsuit seeking to be recognized as a parent that same year. In April 2016, the trial court … Continue Reading

Lesbian Couple Disqualified from Adopting Refugee Child

By Karri Bertrand on March 14, 2018 Posted in Adoption, In the Media, LGBT Legal Cases, LGBT parenting issues

So, can a lesbian couple adopt a refugee kid through Catholic Charities of Fort Worth? Funny you should ask. When Fatma Marouf and Bryn Esplin, both attorneys and professors at Texas A&M University, learned that there were as many as 300,000 homeless or unaccompanied refugee children worldwide, they decided to adopt or foster one. They … Continue Reading

Laws that prohibit divorce from a valid marriage violate human rights

By Michelle O'Neil on September 28, 2017 Posted in Divorce, In the Media

The United Nations ruled in August that an Australian law that prohibits divorce between same-sex couples validly married from another country to divorce violates international human rights obligations. The case was taken to the UN by Fiona Kumari Campbell, who married her ex-partner in Canada in 2004, before the couple separated later that year. Dr … Continue Reading

LGBT film Moonlight wins best picture

By Michelle O'Neil on March 1, 2017 Posted in In the Media

Forget about all the other nonsense, let’s celebrate that an LGBT film won best picture at the Academy Awards! Moonlight presents the life of the main character Chiron and the struggles he faces with his own sexuality as well as the physical abuse that he receives as a result of it. The movie begins in … Continue Reading

First Openly Gay Family Court Judge in Texas

By Michelle O'Neil on February 22, 2017 Posted in In the Media, LGBT parenting issues

Houston attorney Jim Evans was appointed 507th Family Court associate judge on January 1,2017, making him the first openly gay man to serve as a judge in family court in Texas. “There are openly LGBT judges in the criminal and civil courts,” Evans says. “But this is a first for Texas.” In fact, he is … Continue Reading

The number of LGBT identifying adults rises

By Michelle O'Neil on January 25, 2017 Posted in In the Media

Gallup did a survey in 2016 which shows that more than 10 million American adults now identify as LGBT, making 4.1% of the population LGBT in 2016. That’s up from 3/5% in 2015. Millennials, who are viewed as more open-minded and accepting of different lifestyles, are to be credited for the increase. Millennials, born between … Continue Reading

I don’t give a crap who pees in the stall next to me in the bathroom

By Michelle O'Neil on January 9, 2017 Posted in In the Media, Uncategorized

Texas is making international news again – this time for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s newly filed bathroom bill seeking to require people to use the bathroom according to the gender on their birth certificate. The Lt. Gov. renamed it as the “Women’s Privacy Act”. He went on to lay out his argument for it: “Transgender … Continue Reading

A Dallas Baptist church votes for LGBT inclusion, and is unincluded

By Michelle O'Neil on November 18, 2016 Posted in In the Media

Wilshire Baptist Church, located on Abrams Road just north of Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, voted November 14, 2016 to include gay and lesbians for full membership, including rights to serve in leadership positions and marry in the church. The measure passed with a vote of 61% of the membership in favor of inclusion. As soon … Continue Reading

LGBT National Coming Out Day October 11th

By Michelle O'Neil on October 11, 2016 Posted in In the Media

Tuesday October 11th is LGBT National Coming Out Day. On October 11, 1987, half a million people participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The idea of a national day to celebrate coming out came on October 11, 1987 when a half million people participated in a march on Washington D.C. … Continue Reading

Says Justice Devine: LGBT marriage benefits denied, procreation encouraged

By Michelle O'Neil on September 14, 2016 Posted in In the Media

This week, Texas Supreme Court denied review, upholding a lower court’s ruling that cities cannot deprive married same-sex LGBT couples the benefits it provides to opposite-sex couples. However, Justice John P. Devine filed a dissenting opinion to the denial of review. Read the dissenting opinion here Pidgeon v. Turner. Justice Devine disagreed with the denial … Continue Reading

O’Neil and Wysocki among best divorce lawyers in Dallas Texas area

By Michelle O'Neil on September 8, 2016 Posted in In the Media

Michelle O’Neil and Michael D. Wysocki, Shareholders of O’Neil Wysocki, P.C., have been named to the 2016 Texas Super Lawyers List for family law. Only 5% of lawyers statewide are recognized. O’Neil was also named as one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Texas for all practice areas, Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers … Continue Reading

Orlando, The Tony Awards, and gay parents in Texas family law courts

By Michelle O'Neil on June 14, 2016 Posted in In the Media, LGBT parenting issues

It has been a year since the US Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage across the country. At the time, many people, gay and straight, thought the gay community had “arrived” in acceptance. Is that necessarily true for gay parents in our Texas family law courts? This weekend, during LGBTQ pride month, an awful person … Continue Reading

5 Wins for LGBT Rights in 2015

By Michelle O'Neil on February 1, 2016 Posted in In the Media

2015 was a banner year for LGBT rights in America. Of course, legalization of same-sex marriage (now just known as Marriage) was the biggest victory. But Caitlyn Jenner was a hot topic. And there were some smaller victories in anti-discrimination laws. Here’s a rundown of the big events for LGBT rights in the US in 2015, … Continue Reading

Marriage Equality – being part of the conversation

By Michelle O'Neil on July 8, 2015 Posted in In the Media, LGBT Legal Cases

I was fortunate to be asked to participate in the conversation on marriage equality leading up to and on June 26, 2015, the historic day when SCOTUS issued its Obergefell decision extending marriage equality to all and recognizing LGBT rights under the US Constitution. Here’s a run down of my media appearances leading up to … Continue Reading

Video Interview: Discussing the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling with LXBN TV

By Michelle O'Neil on July 6, 2015 Posted in In the Media, LGBT Legal Cases

Following up on my commentary on the decision, I had the opportunity to discuss the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on same-sex marriage with Colin O’Keefe of LXBN. In the interview, I discuss the implications of the decision going forward and how it’s playing out here in Texas.… Continue Reading

New Blog Launch — LGBT family law issues in Texas and Dallas area

By Michelle O'Neil on June 7, 2015 Posted in In the Media

Today marks the official launch day for my new family law blog focusing on LGBT issues in Texas. This month we expect a ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States in the Obergefell case, which will, one way or another, be a landmark decision in the history of gay rights in America. Whatever … Continue Reading