The Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association board of directors issued a statement on behalf of their organization in vigorous opposition to the nomination and “arbitrary confirmation” process of Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court.
Without the quorum required for a committee vote, Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans moved Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate floor this morning anyway, after Committee Democrats walked out in protest.
“We have grave concerns regarding Judge Barrett’s bias against the LGBTQ+ community and that this process has not given our elected officials sufficient time to comprehend the threat her stances pose to human rights in our country,” state the Mass. LGBTQ Bar directors.
Specifically, they cite Judge Barrett’s:
public skepticism of Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted the right to same-sex marriages nationwide, and Bostock v. Clayton County, which extended Title VII workplace protections to the LGBTQ+ community, suggests a disturbing willingness to disregard precedent in favor of a political agenda to strip LGBTQ+ persons of equal protection under the law.
As for the proceedings themselves — along with sharp criticism for their rushed, political nature — they find:
Judge Barrett’s personal demeanor towards the LGBTQ+ community is an affront; during her confirmation hearing, she repeatedly mis-gendered a transgender individual and minimized the innate nature of sexual orientation and gender identity. She has participated in multiple trainings funded by an anti-LGBTQ+ organization that has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Judge Barrett’s conduct and associations show a disdain for LGBTQ+ persons that is undignified and inappropriate to be exhibited by a member of our highest court.
“This nomination is a threat to the fair and just treatment of the LGBTQ+ community under the law. A candidate with such clear biases should not be rushed through to a lifetime appointment; we vigorously oppose this haphazard proceeding and urge that Amy Coney Barrett not be confirmed to the Supreme Court.”
Read the complete statement on the masslgbtqbar.org home page.
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