Category Archives: Nominees

Two judicial nominees: one gay, one called a ‘bigot’

The confirmation hearing of openly gay prosecutor Patrick Bumatay was overshadowed this week by intense scrutiny of allegations that another Trump nominee harbors hostility towards LGBT people.

Gay nominee politely labeled an ‘activist’ by GOP

A fourth openly gay nominee--one who has been fairly heavily involved in both gay and non-gay legal and political issues and who spent “hundreds of hours” doing pro bono work that led to the elimination of a gay ban on

Senate confirms first openly gay man to federal bench

The U.S. Senate Monday evening (July 18) approved the confirmation of openly gay attorney J. Paul Oetken to serve as a U.S. district court judge.

Grassley hints at trouble ahead for lesbian judicial nominee

There was a hint of trouble ahead for the nomination of lesbian attorney Alison Nathan to the U.S. District Court for Southern New York.

Senate confirmations: A partisan pelt-and-wait game

It looked like a cake-walk: President Obama nominated openly gay attorney Paul Oetken to a federal district court bench in Manhattan two months ago, and just last week, he had a confirmation hearing.

Gay federal appeals nominee: 11 months and still waiting for hearing

Republican members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee have been holding up the nomination of President Obama’s only openly gay nominee to a federal appeals bench.

Kagan debated in full Senate, vote Thursday

Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, said he would oppose Elena Kagan’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court because she has “a history of ignoring the law when it conflicts with the gay rights agenda.”

Gay issues continue to dominate as Senate committee recommends Kagan’s nomination

Both “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and same-sex marriage continued to be a prominent focus of the confirmation proceedings for Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday recommended the confirmation.

Kagan: ‘vigorously defended’ DADT

Never before in the history of Supreme Court confirmation hearings have gay issues played such a prominent role.

Kagan acknowledges she’s “generally progressive”

One message Republicans tried to hammer away at this week, in an effort to derail Elena Kagan’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, must have struck many LGBT viewers of her confirmation hearing as deeply ironic.