William Flowers had three children with his then-wife, Lacey. Now they’re divorced, and he’s remarried to a man. Is this behind the strange new turn in their custody battle?
The Houston Press‘s Hair Balls blog reports that when William applied for custody of his kids (his wife had been awarded custody in the divorce), he wasn’t just denied — a Texas judge also added an injunction against “leaving or placing the children in the care of any [emphasis added] person not related to the children by blood or adoption.” That means he can’t leave the kids with a babysitter, neighbor, or his husband Jim Evans, whom he married in Connecticut in 2010, unless his ex-wife gives the okay. And Evans says that won’t happen — he says she dislikes him and “she would never ever let the kids be left with me.” Evans, who’s also a family attorney, adds of the injunction, “It’s unheard of. If somebody gets sick and has to go to the doctor, he can’t just take them to the doctor. He has to take all of them.”
It’s unclear why Lacey would insist on this rule — or why Judge Charley Prine would agree to it. Hair Balls notes that Lacey has twice charged her ex-husband with assault — the first case was dismissed, and in the second, he was acquitted. In any case, this would seem to be an argument for refusing to leave the children with William, not his husband. Some think the decision is a result of simple bigotry. Diana Sims, who joined other supporters of William and Evans to protest outside Judge Prine’s courtroom, says, “For the judge to slam him like this for no reason whatsoever is just pure homophobia.” When Hair Balls asked Lacey’s lawyer Jennifer Broussard if the injunction was aimed at William’s husband, she said, “Well, he doesn’t have a husband in Texas, dear.” We’ve contacted Broussard to ask her to elaborate on her client’s concerns — she has yet to respond.
Judge Orders Gay Married Man Not To Leave Children Alone With His Husband, Or Anyone Else [Houston Press Hair Balls Blog]