The voices of children of gay parents are highlighted in an amicus brief filed in two U.S. Supreme Court cases related to gay marriage.

The Family Equality Council, which claims to represent 3 million LGBT parents and six million children and adults with LGBT parents, filed the briefs in the cases United States v. Windsor, which challenges the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which challenges Proposition 8, California's constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual unions.

“The voices of children raised by same-sex parents – those who live every day within the family structure at the heart of these lawsuits – are too often unheard in the debates about same-sex couples and marriage,” the brief's authors wrote. “Although those who oppose marriage for same-sex couples frequently make assumptions about the quality of the children's family lives, the children themselves are rarely asked to explain what they actually experience.”

“How can they tell me that my family doesn't count?” Ella Robinson rhetorically asked. “That the relationship between my two dads that I have not only learned from and cherished, but also reaped the benefits of, isn't acknowledged on the federal level? That the love they share isn't deserving of the same protection and laws that a man and a woman receive?”

“My moms have been together for a long time, through thick and thin, and they've made it through the good times and the bad times together, as a team. They have shown me and the world what a lasting, loving relationship can look like,” Brian Arsenault said. “And when I think of my own wedding someday, should I be lucky enough to find a girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, I can't imagine two better role models to base a family around than my moms.”

“Not only have my Dads physically and financially supported me throughout my childhood, but they also have supported me emotionally, spiritually, and mentally as I have transitioned into adulthood,” said Sarah Gogin. “For over forty years, my dads have been living proof that true love does exist and that perseverance through adversity helps to define who we are. They have taught me to stay true to myself, to change for no one, and to be the best me that I can be.”

The brief concludes: “While the Proponents will tell you that Proposition 8 and DOMA are good for children, children raised by same-sex parents will tell you otherwise. These children will tell you that Proposition 8 and DOMA stigmatize and de-legitimize their families. And they will tell you that their families are just as deserving of recognition, respect, and protection as those of children with opposite-sex parents.”

Allied organizations signing on to the brief include COLAGE, GLSEN, Our family Coalition, the Center on Children and Families, and The Child Rights Project.