Lambda Legal: ‘Judge Gorsuch’s Refusal to Correct his Anti-LGBT Record is Disqualifying’

(New York, NY, April 3, 2017) – Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to send Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination for the Supreme Court to the full Senate for a vote. Lambda Legal opposes Judge Gorsuch’s nomination and urges the full Senate to vote ‘No’.

“Judge Gorsuch’s vision of the law excludes LGBT people from the Constitution, treats religious beliefs as a free pass to discriminate, and views our equal dignity under the law as a subject for continued litigation,” said Rachel B. Tiven, CEO of Lambda Legal. “His dismissive, extremist take on LGBT rights is out of step with where we are as a country, and disqualifies him from serving on our nation’s highest court.”

When questioned by Senator Franken whether marriage equality was settled law Judge Gorsuch answered… “…It is absolutely settled law. There is ongoing litigation about its impact and application right now.”

“Judge Gorsuch’s remark that marriage equality’s “impact and application” is in dispute is a dog-whistle to the religious extremists who funded his nomination,” Tiven added.

“He wouldn’t answer whether he thinks cases concerning marriage equality, abortion, school desegregation, or the right to an attorney were correctly decided and final. He disdains the regulations that govern clean air, clean water, and safe food. His snide treatment of everyone from the trucker freezing to death by the side of the road to plaintiffs like ours, who count on the courts to see their humanity and fundamental equality, is startling. In short, this is not a person fit to rule on the lives of 315 million Americans,” Tiven said.

Lambda Legal thanks Senate Judiciary members who voted ‘No’ today: Senators Feinstein, Leahy, Whitehouse, Franken, Blumenthal, Durbin, Klobuchar, Coons and Hirono.

When Judge Gorsuch’s nomination was announced on January, Lambda Legal took the unprecedented step of opposing his nomination, the first time that the organization has opposed a Supreme Court nomination before a confirmation hearing. The decision to oppose his nomination came after conducting detailed research on Judge Gorsuch’s record, which is available in full here: http://www.lambdalegal.org/blog/20170131_gorsuch-record

Lambda Legal, along with 21 other LGBT groups, sent a letter to leading members of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing their opposition to Judge Gorsuch over his views on civil rights issues and concluded that he posed a significant threat to the LGBT community. Senator Chris Coons added the letter into the Congressional Record of the hearing.