Civil Rights Groups Respond to Supreme Court Nominee
7/10/2018
With the news that President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to be the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, LGBTQ and civil rights groups from all over the country responded, opposing this nomination. Though he has not ruled specifically on LGBTQ rights, radical conservative Kavanaugh was vetted by the anti-LGBTQ group, Family Research Council.
“The SF LGBT Center stands in unity with all of the civil rights groups voicing their concerns about this Supreme Court nominee,” said Rebecca Rolfe, SF LGBT Center Executive Director. “Given his track record, it is apparent that he would not rule for LGBTQ equality, a woman’s right to choose, and other important civil rights.”
This Towelroad article shares all of the statements from: the ACLU, GLADD, HRC, Lambda Legal, Planned Parenthood, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Transgender Law Center, Freedom for All Americans, One Colorado, Equality California, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and National LGBTQ Task Force.
Here are a few:
“We need a Supreme Court that will uphold the values of freedom, fairness and equal protection enshrined in our Constitution,” reads the Transgender Law Center statement, “not green-light discrimination against transgender people, communities of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others under attack by this administration.”
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director Shannon Minter said, “It is sobering that a president who has shown disregard for many of our nation’s most cherished rights and freedoms has an opportunity to appoint a second justice to the Supreme Court. This moment is a wake-up call to LGBT people and others about the critical importance of elections and the need to vote this November.”
“Trump’s pick will clearly pull the Supreme Court to the far-right if confirmed and will put the rights of LGBTQ people at risk,” reads the National LGBTQ Task Force statement. “He has been backed by the anti-LGBTQ extremist group the Family Research Council [and] he will put Roe v Wade at risk.”
The SF LGBT Center encourages community members to reach out to their Senators, voicing their concerns. Visit the “Tell Your Senators: Don’t Let Trump Hijack the Supreme Court” page from NCLR to take action.
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons/Ted Eytan