Founder, Anne S. Wynne

In November 2004, Anne S. Wynne was shocked when eleven states voted to add discrimination to their state constitutions by prohibiting same-gender couples from marrying. She wondered, "Where were the people who think like my husband and me?" She wanted to get involved, but couldn't find the right spot for her: a straight person outraged by discrimination based simply on who a person chooses to love.

So she founded Atticus Circle, named after Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird

As a national nonprofit, Atticus Circle educates and mobilizes fair-minded straight people to advance equal rights for LGBT partners, parents and their children. Unique in its focus, Atticus Circle reaches out to straight allies who support equality for families headed by same-gender couples and brings them into this civil rights struggle rooted in love.

Anne's leadership in the quest for equality was recognized in the 2005 campaign against the Texas Marriage Discrimination amendment, a measure that embedded discrimination against GLBT Texans in the state's constitution. Anne testified in the Texas Legislature against the proposed constitutional amendment and served as a spokesperson for the coalition of more than 150 organizations and thousands of individuals working to defeat the Texas Marriage Discrimination amendment.

During the campaign, Anne debated the amendment's sponsor and its radical right proponents many times. In countless media interviews and public speaking engagements, she advocated for the thousands of families and children that would be hurt.

A Dallas native, Anne graduated cum laude from Smith College and earned her law degree at the University of Texas School of Law. She is a partner in Ikard Wynne & Ratliff, LLP, specializing in civil litigation, including family law.

She is married to Fred Ellis, and mother of their three children, Alex, Hallie and Lila.

Governor Ann Richards appointed Anne as the first woman to serve on the General Services Commission and later the Texas Transportation Commission. She served for many years on the St. Edwards University Board and was Chair for three years.

Anne serves on the Board of Equality Texas and the Board of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

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Why I started Atticus Circle

One year ago, I was like most working moms. A married mother of three who juggles home and kids and work.

Rights for gay people weren’t on my radar screen.

Today, I am the Founder of Atticus Circle, a group dedicated to achieving equality for all parents and partners, regardless of sexual orientation.

Let me tell you a little more about the journey that has brought me here.
I am a 4th generation Texan and 4th generation lawyer.

My great-grandfather served in both the House of Representatives and the State Senate. He was Speaker of the Texas House almost 100 years ago.

My Great-Grandmother, after raising 9 children, helped women get BACK the rights that they lost when they got married.

My grandfather, my personal idol, was the first president of the State Bar of Texas.

So, I think I have Legal DNA in me which makes me care so much about Texas laws and how Texas treats the people who live here.

In November 2004, I watched as eleven states voted to add a ban on gay marriage to their states’ constitutions, and I was shocked by how handily those propositions passed.

I thought, “How could this be happening in this country?

“Where were the people who think like my husband and me?”

So I started Atticus Circle, named after Atticus Finch in “To Kill A Mockingbird,” a man who absolutely stood up for the rights of others.

And that’s what Atticus Circle does – stand up to achieve equality for every parent and every partnership.

Atticus Circle is going to tackle the issues of discrimination against gays and lesbians statewide. We’re committed to creating a cultural change that will have a profound and lasting impact on our communities.

And change is exactly what is needed. The course we are on hurts families and hurts children.

As a family law mediator, I see cases in all parts of the United States where same gender parents are in court.

The parent that is on the birth certificate is saying to the parent not on the birth certificate, “You’re never going to see these children again.”
I see parents not wanting to pay child support.

Now, these were all behaviors spouses had pulled until we put laws in place to protect parents and children hurt in these cases – the laws weren’t there to protect these kids.

And now we are denying Texas families the right to protect themselves and their children with discriminatory laws and practices.

Our approach is totally backwards here.

• Be responsible for each other
• Want to pay that marriage penalty tax
• Want to provide for each other and their kids in terms of health insurance, retirement, and social security
• Want to make those hard medical decisions for each other
• Want to take great care of children

Taking “great care of children” is another reason why Atticus Circle was founded.

We start from a very basic premise.

Nothing you can do OR SHOULD DO is going to keep people who love each other from making a home and creating a family.
I have three kids in public schools in Austin. Every one of them is going to school with children who have 2 mommies or 2 daddies.

Those children are just as precious as mine and they are just as precious to their parents as mine are to me.

Just in case you don’t know any same gender families, let me tell you my experience: there are no “accidental” children in those families.

Their families are created with conscious intention. They have been planned and prayed for far more than any of us can imagine.

Discrimination against the parents of these children hurts Texas families and hurts Texas children. And IT HELPS NO ONE.

I started Atticus Circle to help these families and these children.

Atticus is standing up to protect the children in our state by fighting the good fight against discrimination, encouraging fairness and acceptance, and achieving equality for every parent and partnership.

We do it by focusing our critical work on the areas of education, policy development and legal advocacy.

And we do it by having straight people stand up for the civil rights of LGBT Americans – a practice that changes the nature of the conversation.

This is the civil rights struggle of our time … it affects the world our children will grow up to live in and love in.

The Atticus Circle is one that is growing every day. Won’t you join us?

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