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First Openly Gay Man Recommended for Federal Judge


GAVEL SCALES JUSTICE LAW LEGAL JUDGEMENT X390 (PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York is recommending that President Obama nominate an openly gay man to serve as a federal judge for the first time. Daniel Alter has been designated by the senator for the U.S. district court for the southern district of New York, subject to Senate confirmation.

Schumer noted the historic nature of the recommendation in a statement, according to DC Agenda.

“His outstanding leadership skills, his commitment to justice, and his extensive experience make him an exceptional choice for a position on the federal bench,” said Schumer. “I’m proud to nominate Daniel Alter. Period. But I am equally proud to nominate him because he is a history-maker who will be the first openly gay male judge in American history.”

Schumer is the senior senator from New York. Presidents traditionally follow the judicial nomination recommendations of the senior senator from the state where this is a vacancy.

According to DC Agenda, Alter is a graduate of Columbia College and Yale Law School. His experience includes six years as an assistant U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York and service as national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Deborah Batts, an out lesbian, to serve as federal judge for the U.S. district court of the southern district of New York.

The Alter recommendation arrives as the San Francisco Chronicle reported this week that Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. district court for the northern district of California, who is presiding over the Proposition 8 trial, is gay. Walker has not commented on the report.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Ben
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 9:58:58 PM
    Hometown: NY

    Comment:

    This is very good news. Thank you Senator.

  • Name: Spikewebbe
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 3:35:21 PM
    Hometown: Boston, MA

    Comment:

    Oh, boy, reason number one million why the Repuke-llicans will hate Obama. I was watching Daystar, the Christian Channel in my area and some conservative minister was bashing President Obama for appointing openly gay men, women and a transgender person to his cabinet. The conservative right does NOT like these appointments. But then again if Obama appointed Moses to a cabinet post the conservatives would have something negative to say about the appointment because Obama cannot do anything right in their view.

  • Name: Mark
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 12:01:25 PM
    Hometown: Wappingers Falls

    Comment:

    Obama and the Senate better work fast to confirm him. Once the Republicans take control of the Congress after November, he'll never be confirmed. After Bush's first year, he had confirmed a huge number of fundamentalist Christian anti-gay federal court judges who use the Bible as their constitution. What's taking Obama and the Democrats so long to get confirmed fair-minded constitutional judges?

  • Name: Hope this helps
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 11:41:23 AM
    Hometown: Providence, RI

    Comment:

    I think the article is confusing in the way it is written. The Prop 8 judge, according to the things I've read, has never denied being gay and may even lead a "quietly gay" life but he has not been active in expressing whether he gay or not, and so it is ambiguous "officially" (think of his court bio) as to whether he is gay. On the other hand, the gentleman advocated for by Sen. Schumer is openly gay and does actively speak of his being gay (ie: partner, gay group membership, etc). While Deborah Batts (the CLinton appointee) was openly gay, she was not a male. Phew, I'm tired now.

  • Name: ttt
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 11:20:42 AM
    Hometown: illinois

    Comment:

    This confuses me. Is he the first known openly gay judge to be named? Was the prop 8 judge not known to be gay when nominated? Obviously there are other district judges who are gay...



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