Celebrating the Power of Advocacy

Jay Timmons shared this powerful testimony in our Virginia Methodists for a New Thing private Facebook group on June 25, 2019. We thank him for permission to share his words in this post..

Seven years ago today we were granted parental rights over our son, Jacob, in Wisconsin. Then another judge - Jim Troupis - intervened for no reason and took those rights away as he imposed his own moral views instead of the law. He left Jacob an orphan. We won our rights back after a multi-year battle.

Three years ago today (June 25, 2022), Jacob sat on the lap of the Governor of Virginia at our church - Walker Chapel UMC - as the Governor signed “Jacob’s Law,” a bill named after our son that would stop what happened to us from happening to any other same-sex parent family in our home state. It would be the first event our new pastor, Lynne Alley-Grant, would attend at our church, in Arlington, where she offered a blessing.

Lynne has set an amazing “Everybody is Welcome” tone at Walker Chapel, and it all started that day. Visit us anytime!

We are grateful for Jay and his husband Rick for their persistence and the difference it makes not only for their family but for many others across the Commonwealth. They endured great stress and pain, and we celebrate with them that Jacob’s Law is now the standard in Virginia. We also celebrate the congregation at Walker Chapel UMC and the Rev. Lynne Alley-Grant for their welcoming witness. As we celebrate Jacob’s Law, may we all recommit ourselves to ongoing work to ensure parental rights are sustained for all families.

Three years ago at the signing of Jacob’s Law, Jay shared these words:

To be honest, we could have stopped when our parental rights were restored, soon after Troupis resigned from the bench after his disgraceful ruling. But we believed that we could not allow what happened to us to happen to any other family. We could not let another judge abuse a child, the way Jim Troupis abused our son.

So we embraced the message of Chapter 12, verse 21 in the Book of Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

It was not easy, but we told our story, and we became advocates. And somewhere along the way, we told our story to our local Delegate, Rip Sullivan. Rip introduced Jacob’s Law and our family worked tirelessly with Rip and his Chief of Staff, Kate Petersen, to get the bill through the General Assembly on a bipartisan basis. Our message was simple. If you care about Life…If you care about Equality Under the Law…If you care about family…then vote for HB1979. Every Democrat did so and nearly 1/3 of Republicans in the House and ½ in the Senate did as well.

Four years ago, if anyone would have told me that Rick and I would be here, with our three kids, with the Governor of Virginia, with so many loving and supportive friends and members of our family celebrating leaders from both sides of the aisle coming together to say all families are equal, I would have said that’s just not possible.

But today is a reminder that in this exceptional country of ours, in this great Commonwealth, progress is always possible—when we stand up for what’s true, what’s right and what is the God given right of every American—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Today, that promise becomes more real for more Virginians and for children who will find the loving embrace of people who love them for who they are.

Many folks are discouraged and overwhelmed at all that is unfolding in our nation and in our Church. May Jay’s words light the way for us all to continue our work and witness for full inclusion for all!

Click here to read more about the 2019 Jacob’s Law.