WHET Mary Jo Risher, 1970s lesbian who lost custody of her son for being gay?
I came across the 1978 TV movie, A Question of Love, with Gena Rowlands and Jane Alexander, based on the case of Risher's custody suit. Her older son basically ratted her out for being a lesbian in a relationship with another woman and the father took her to court to get custody of their younger son (and won).
I've been trying to find out if Risher is still alive and if she has (had) any relationship with the asshole elder son after he ruined her life, but I cannot find anything. If any eldergays or lesbians know or remember, I'd be very interested in hearing about any updates. I believe Risher would be in her early 80s if still alive and her partner (at the time) would be in her mid-late 70s.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 3, 2022 10:00 PM
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Haven't found anything definitive about Mary Jo, but her former husband and two sons are all alive and living in Texas.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 3, 2022 1:01 AM
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It appears tha Mary Jo Risher goes by the name "MarJoe Davidson" now and resides on Lopez Island, Washington. The age matches (84-years), and MarJoe has a FB page where you can find five people on her friends list named "Risher."
She states that she's the owner of the "Just Heavenly Fudge Factory and Gift Shop" there. That business has it's own FB page.
It looks like MarJoe got hitched in 2013. (Wedding photo below,) That's her on the left with her wife, Natalie, on the right.
She was posting as of December 2021, so it appears she's still kicking.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 3, 2022 8:18 PM
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Wow, good find, R3. Nice work! Thanks.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 3, 2022 8:21 PM
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Can you really "rat out" how your mother is living to your father if you're an underage son? I don't think children under 18 have a moral responsibility to keep secrets about their parent to their other parent. Sorry.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 3, 2022 8:23 PM
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He didn't just tell his father, he basically complained about it and was bought off with a car after telling his mother he was fine with her. His testimony was the deciding factor in the younger son being taken away. So yes, blame him.
He's a Trumper scumbag gun salesman in Texas now. Shocker.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 3, 2022 8:38 PM
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So who was in the home with them to really know how, "happy", these kids were w. mom & girlfriend? Speak up. Don't be shy.
Did you rent the spare bedroom, from the gals? Helped out with chores. Babysat the kids when the gals went to Michfest? You were privy to how the kids really felt, because we all know ALL children, always feel comfortable to express how they feel about their parents sex lives. This comfort with knowing about your mom being a lesbian & living with her girlfriend was really prevalent in the 1970"s in the Bible belt. Texas is till often described as the, "Buckle of the Bible Belt". So, of course the boys were thrilled about their mom & girlfriend. it was that evil Magat dad for sure. Trump was corrupting minds & families even then!!
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 3, 2022 9:24 PM
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Working off of R3's Facebook find, it seems she is FB friends with both sons as well as some grandkids. Also, the ex-husband died in 2016. Apparently this all took place in the area where I grew up, but I was not aware of it. Of course, I would have only been about 12 at the time, so it wasn't really on my radar.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 3, 2022 10:00 PM
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