by The Ruth Institute Staff
A few years ago, The Ruth Institute analyzed the case of Lisa Miller,
who fled the country with her biological daughter, to protect the daughter from the alleged abuse of Lisa’s former partner. Lisa, a former lesbian,
was damaged and harmed by the Sexual State. Lisa’s former partner used the power of the family courts to force Lisa to share custody with her,
by redefining the “presumption of paternity” to the gender-neutral “presumption of parentage.” Now Lisa Miller is back in the news – hoping to
receive a presidential pardon.
The case is strange and disconcerting for anyone who is familiar with it. Lisa Miller (interviewed for her story in 2008 by Lifesite News)
– had a difficult life: by the time she was seven she was paying the mortgage, making sure food was on the table, and dealing with her parents’
divorce. Due to that and her mother’s mental illness, she got addicted to speed, and when she was married, her husband introduced her to alcohol.
After a failed suicide attempt while recovering from alcoholism in the hospital, she was transferred to a psych ward.
While in the psych ward her therapists decided, without consulting her husband, that the reason she had so many struggles was because she was a lesbian. Clearly, they told her, the struggles she was facing came from difficulties “coming out.” Later, after divorcing her husband, she followed their
advice.
The therapists encouraged her to be a lesbian (rather than working out her relationship with her husband), and told her that even if her first relationship
with a woman didn’t work out (it didn’t), that doesn’t mean that the second one wouldn’t (it didn’t either).
The incredible thing was that she had all of this childhood trauma (what 7 year-old should be balancing checkbooks and taking speed?) that the therapists
hardly delved into and didn’t really discuss with her. Talking a patient into a sexual identity based on the therapists’ hunch, and disconnected
from the facts of the patient’s case, seems like it might be malpractice.
This also brings up another question about the immutability of sexual preference. After both of her failed relationships with different women, and
the abusive, though longer-term relationship with Janet Jenkins, she decided that actively living a lesbian lifestyle wasn’t for her (not to mention
her doubts about her sexual preference during that span of time). Can sexual preference be immutable if people’s sexual preference changes? If
sexual preference is immutable for some people but not others, how is the law to deal with a category like that?
Lisa’s life became more difficult as she moved in with, and later became joined in a civil union with, Janet Jenkins. Lisa said, “Janet and I did not
have a typical relationship.We were together – however, there was rarely any intimacy.Maybe once or twice a year and this was consistent throughout
the relationship.I personally did not feel that way.This upset Janet a great deal and a lot of the abuse centered around that, as well, with name-calling
and things like that… I actually, ended up leaving her in 1999 because the relationship had turned violent”
While many of us may be confused as to why Lisa might stay in a relationship that became more and more abusive, Lisa explained it in terms of a comfort
zone. “For me, being with her, and this is going to sound weird, but it was like a comfort zone because I was used to being abused growing up…
with women, what I was trying to do was trying to recreate a mother/daughter bond that I never had.”
After Lisa and Janet got back together, they moved to Vermont and obtained a civil union in 2000. In 2001 Lisa decided to have a daughter via artificial
sperm donation. Janet generally maintained that she wasn’t interested in the child, and was not helpful during the pregnancy. The birth certificate
lists only Lisa Miller as the parent.
According to Lisa, even though Jenkins was granted some parental rights after the dissolution proceedings began (though they lasted more than 5 years).
Jenkins’ involvement with the child was minimal, even skipping the court ordered dates for visitation.
As far as the sordid allegations of the proceedings go, what Lisa Miller alleges Jenkins did isn’t pretty. She recounts that her daughter said that
Jenkins would bathe naked with her (as a 5 year-old girl!), and that her daughter would come back from the few visits she did have and mime committing
suicide. After that, Lisa cut off visits, and eventually fled the country to protect her daughter from an allegedly abusive and erratic ex-partner.
Dr. Morse said of this heartbreaking case, “Lisa Miller was one of the early victims of the Sexual State. Her case convinced me that redefining marriage
would redefine parenthood in ways that few people were taking seriously. Lisa Miller entered into a civil union with another woman and had a child
through an anonymous sperm donor. Lisa no doubt believed that she was the mother of the child. The government redefined parenthood, right out from
under her. She had no idea that by entering into a civil union, she had given parental rights to the other woman, something that does not happen
in stepparent situations.
“When those visits became abusive, Lisa tried to prevent them. The bias of the court in favor of the non-parent was so strong and the power of the
family court so arbitrary, that Lisa could not protect her child. She fled the country with her daughter. She had the assistance of two brave Mennonite
pastors and a Christian businessman.
“I support a presidential pardon for Lisa Miller, and for Philip Zodhiates, Timothy Miller and Kevin Miller.”
Support Lisa Miller by signing the petition at LifeSite News today!
