Gender Identity on Trial in Divorce Court

Couples in divorce court often disagree on a whole host of issues – who should get the house, how much child support a parent must pay, who gets custody of the dog. But when James Allan Scott and Rebecca Robertson, his wife of 12 years, wound up in divorce court, there was a much more profound disagreement: whether James is a man or a woman.

James is transgender. Though he was born with female…

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Tribunal de divórcio não pode lidar com 'uma categoria diferente de cônjuge'

“Não acho que o divórcio traga à tona o melhor da maioria das pessoas”, comenta ironicamente Joy Ladin, professora de inglês no Stern College for Women da Yeshiva University, em Nova York.

And it can be even worse when one of the spouses is transgender. Insensitive exes, uneducated legal professionals and inadequate and sometimes biased laws can make it infinitely more painful for entire families, as Joy, who is…

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I Just Happen To Be A Parent Who Is Also Transgender

Even after 13 years, Michael Kantaras easily recalls the urgency with which he searched for a lawyer with expertise in transgender issues during his divorce. His estranged wife moved to have their 10-year marriage voided and strip Michael of his parental rights, just because he is transgender.

“Terrified. Absolutely terrified,” is how Michael describes himself at that time. He could not fathom…

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Deixando uma criança ser quem ela é

Quando Leslie Swanson* buscou a custódia de seu neto de 4 anos, alguns anos atrás, o conselho de seu advogado sobre revelar ao juiz do tribunal de família que a criança é transgênero não foi muito tranquilizador.

“The first attorney was telling us to hide Catherine’s* gender identity, to not tell anyone, that it would negatively affect our case, and that we would be blamed for Catherine being…

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