April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce
Utah Judge Scott Johansen has signed an order allowing lesbian foster parents April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce to retain custody of the 9-month-old child of whom they have had custody for three months, according to an Associated Press report from Salt Lake City.
The reversal came after widespread backlash following Johansen’s order Tuesday that the child be removed from Hoagland and Peirce’s home. The couple and Utah state officials had immediately filed challenges demanding Johansen rescind that order.
Johansen initially said the child should be removed from the lesbian couple’s custody because research shows that children do better when raised by heterosexual parents. That claim flies in the face of all reputable studies on the subject. And the American Psychological Association has said there’s no scientific basis for the claim that gay couples are unfit parents just based on sexual orientation.
