Texas Equal Parenthood Act HB 803 should be passed in this 2021 legislative session to uphold the Constitution and help millions of children torn apart due to unequal parental standards in Texas family courts and empower women.

The Constitution and the rule of law are things that Texans care about, and Texan leaders proudly support them, but in Texas family courts, the data shows a staggering violation of both. The constitution forbids discrimination based on sex. Texas law goes further and specifically prohibits discrimination based on sex or marital status when deciding on custody cases (Texas Family Code Section 153.003).

However, the data obtained through a request for information sent to the Texas Attorney General shows that as of 2019, approximately 90% or all of the child custody cases in Texas have the father listed as the non-caring parent in the Attorney General’s database about 10% of the mother listed as non-caring parents.

These data make it clear that Texas judges still largely base their custody decisions on gender and gender, even though Texas law and the Constitution prohibit such prejudice. There can be no other reason. In today’s world, both men and women work and work in fairly even proportions. So it’s not like 90 percent of fathers work and 10 percent of mothers stay at home. Maybe that was the case decades ago, but times have changed and men and women are now much more equal, and women are bridging the gap in terms of inequalities that may still exist. However, the gender gap in custody cases is still drastically biased. The fact is that both men and women can look after their children equally. Both are able to love their children and take them to school, feed them and provide for their needs. However, the data shows that Texas judges are still drastically discriminating against and violating the Constitution and Texas law they are supposed to uphold.

From personal experience, I can tell you that there is indeed an obvious inequality in equality in Texas Family Courts that is deeply ingrained in the gender bias that violates the Constitution and the rule of law. I am a fantastic fellow with my son and there has never been a question about my ability to be a good father, nor have I been accused of hurting or neglecting my son. However, when my ex-wife became abusive and started leaving my one-year-old son in a car during an affair and then filing for divorce, I was told that I would never have the chance of equal parenting, let alone a chance to obtain custody for being a woman. Even if she neglected our son, I would still have an uphill battle to get a dish that would give me the same time and not just an unsupervised parent. My son would cry and cry and not want to leave me because a weekend every other weekend (4 days a month) just isn’t enough time for kids to be with a parent, but that’s current Texas law, kids separates from parents. Children want and need both parents in their lives.

In fact, the bias is so evident that when I went to my first temporary custody hearing, my attorney came out of the back room meeting with the door closed and told me that the judge told her that he had only given custody to one man twice. My lawyer told me that this was the judge’s way of saying that he would not rule for men. I advocate equal parenting because my son deserves both a mother and a father. My lawyer told me I would never have equal custody because I am a man. Even in mediation, the mediator made it clear that equal custody was not an option because I was a man. This inequality is very harmful to children.

Unequal parenting harms Texas children and holds women back

So we know that inequality in family courts in Texas is a very real thing, and the data proves it. And we know that most likely any reasonable explanation of inequality is based on gender and gender bias. Equal parenting laws in Texas would help resolve this apparent inequality, as equal parenting would be the starting point for judges to rule in custody cases when both parents are deemed fit and determined to be conservators together.

Why is equal parenting so important? Equal parenting is important because it helps millions of children who are injured and enables women to be more equal and have more equal opportunities.

Unequal Parenthood HARMS Children

60 peer-reviewed studies show that it’s best for children to spend the same amount of time with both parents. Furthermore, not only do we know that parenthood helps children, but we unfortunately also know that parenthood is BIG to hurt children. This is particularly due to the large number of children who do not have the same amount of time with their father. The stats and facts are shocking and alarming (see infographic above). The majority of juvenile delinquency, teen drug use, teen pregnancy, teen suicide, and even nearly all school shooters were unequal parents and most importantly, no father. Most of the fatherless America epidemic harming children is caused by America’s family court system, which encourages parents to fight longer in court, using children as farmers and forcing one parent out of the child’s life. Instead, the laws of the family court should force both parents to be equally parents when both parents are fit, as this is best for children who have a right to equal access to both healthy parents.