By Lisa Keen on October 5, 2011
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 FBI agents–has gone before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Posted in Federal Courts, News, Nominees, U.S. District Courts
By Lisa Keen on July 19, 2011
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.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees
By Lisa Keen on July 14, 2011
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.
Posted in Campaigns, Congress, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, Politics, Senate
By Lisa Keen on March 22, 2011
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.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 7, 2011
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.
Posted in Congress, Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on August 4, 2010
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.”
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on July 20, 2010
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.
Posted in Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on June 30, 2010
Never before in the history of Supreme Court confirmation hearings have gay issues played such a prominent role.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on June 29, 2010
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.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News, Nominees, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on April 17, 2010
The confirmation hearing Friday, April 16, for a well-known liberal nominee to a federal appeals court deteriorated quickly into a political battlefield. Republicans seemed intent on settling old scores.
Posted in Congress, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on March 29, 2010
Using a constitutional provision known as a “recess appointment,” President Obama on Saturday appointed lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum and three others to positions on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Posted in Congress, Issues, News, Nominees, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on March 25, 2010
The Senate Judiciary Committee was squaring up for a showdown this week over President Obama’s most controversial judicial nominee to date, but that showdown has been indefinitely delayed, while Republicans use a parliamentary delaying tactic on the companion bill to the health care reform law.
Posted in Congress, Federal Courts, Law, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on February 14, 2010
Of 678 federal district court judges in the country, only one has voluntarily identified as being gay?
It is for that reason that there is cause for excitement that President Obama may be on the verge of nominating another.
Posted in Federal Courts, Law, News, Nominees
By Lisa Keen on December 11, 2009
A Senate committee Thursday approved the nomination of openly gay law professor Chai Feldblum to serve as a member of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The nomination now goes to the full Senate, where it could still face opposition.
Posted in National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 19, 2009
There were expectations that Republicans would challenge openly gay EEOC nominee Chai Feldblum. But nothing came from Republicans.
Posted in Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on October 8, 2009
President Obama on October 7 issued a statement announcing the nomination of an openly gay man to serve as the nation’s ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.
Posted in Issues, National Politics, News, Nominees, Politics
By Lisa Keen on July 21, 2009
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was grilled twice on how she might rule should a same-sex marriage case comes before her on the high court.
Posted in Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, Nominees
Ginsburg on Roe: Is it a signal she’d curb a decision on marriage?
Leahy submits language to help bi-national same-sex couples
Delaware votes for marriage equality; becomes 11th state to make it the law
Rhode Island marriage law signed; Two more states could vote next week
President praises pro athlete Jason Collins for courage to come out
Rhode Island marriage bill clears final hurdle with all Republicans