Justice Sunday
all about opposing gay equality

Criticism of Justice Sunday II by gay rights activists has been building since the Sunday telecast to antigay churches across the country, which featured a parade of conservative political and religious leaders who not only denounced "judicial tyranny" but took the opportunity to publicly rail against gay and lesbian equality. Many said they hoped to use the event as a "launching pad" to mobilize Christians against what they view as activist judges. The event, which featured a speech by House majority leader Tom DeLay, comes just three weeks before the Senate begins considering the nomination of John Roberts to replace retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"Once again the forces of political and religious extremism gathered under the guise of standing up for 'justice' to call for tearing down the increasingly porous wall between church and state," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "And once again a right-wing leader of Congress, this time House majority leader Tom DeLay, was there to attack the bedrock of our democracy, an independent judiciary. Their view on the role of the courts is stunningly regressive. But no one should be surprised: These are the same people who compared the justices of the Massachusetts supreme court to Adolf Hitler after the decision ordering marriage equality."

"Disguising prejudice as justice is un-American," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. "The extremism on display [on Sunday] dangerously ignored the court's more than 200-year-old responsibility of independence. In rallying against this liberty, the speakers last night rallied against one of our democracy's greatest qualities. All fair-minded Americans should take note that those who want to use the Supreme Court to silence fairness seem to also be supporting the nomination of Judge John Roberts."