No One Dies from Divorce

Jess Couser: How We Can Be Better Advocates for the LGBTQ+ Community

August 09, 2021 Jill Coil Season 1 Episode 9
No One Dies from Divorce
Jess Couser: How We Can Be Better Advocates for the LGBTQ+ Community
Show Notes

Today we’re talking about how the legal field affects the LGBTQIA+ community, and what we can do to better advocate for this community going forward, professionally and personally. My guest is Jess Couser, a fellow Utah family law attorney. She identifies as bisexual and works hard to represent other members in the LGBTQ community.

Show Notes:

Jessica (Jess) Couser practices law in areas of custody, divorce, parentage, enforcement, child support, adoption, protective orders, guardianship, LGBTQ law, and more. She and her cofounder, Laura Hansen, founded Just Law in 2010 (Millcreek and downtown SLC, Utah, offices), with the goal of providing clients excellent, ethical, and family-focused legal representation. Jess believes that family law matters require legal skill and strategy, but that they also require compassion, creativity, and fortitude. Family law attorneys should have specific knowledge of child development, trauma, communication and coping mechanisms, and they should be prepared to advocate for and educate every client on the legal and practical matters they may be facing. 

Jess believes the biggest challenge the LGBTQ+ community probably faces today is the mainstream political platforms and figures that are still comfortable advocating to reverse the Obergefell V Hodges supreme court case (legality of same-sex marriage), which would affect families in the queer community. 

Also issues of transgender laws for individuals and their parents and children, and issues of family planning for same-sex couples.

“Verification of appropriate treatment by a medical provider” is the verbiage the Utah Supreme Court gave for what is needed before granting the gender marker change on birth certificates. This just means the individual has consulted with a medical provider and that provider agrees the transition treatment is appropriate.

Both surrogacy and adoption required being single or in a heterosexual marriage in Utah before 2015.

How can we all be better allies?

  1. Ask questions. People are usually willing to have honest communication when you are open.
  2. Language is important and impacts who you’re communicating with, but not so important you shouldn’t feel like you can’t ask if you don’t know.
  3. Don’t let your own insecurities keep you from being kind to others.