Equality in the Courts

by Michael Jones · 2009-05-19 09:28:00 UTC
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Equality in the Courts

As President Obama winds down his search for a replacement for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, the Human Rights Campaign has launched a Web site, Equality in the Courts, designed to help provide key information on the Supreme Court nomination process to the LGBT community.  The site is loaded with information relevant to LGBT folks about the next direction the U.S. Supreme Court will take.

In other words, it's a really cool site.

The site has a section about "What Makes a Fair Judge?" and includes a checklist that includes the following:

  • demonstrated commitment to full equality under law for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans; individuals living with HIV and AIDS; women; people with disabilities and racial, ethnic, and religious minorities;

  • demonstrated commitment to the constitutional right to privacy and individual liberty, including the right of two consenting adults to enter into consensual intimate relationships

  • respect for the constitutional authority of Congress to promote equality and civil rights and provide statutory remedies for discrimination and violence;

  • sophisticated understanding of and commitment to the separation of church and state and the protection of those citizens with minority religious views;

  • respect for state legislatures' attempts to address discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity and other factors through carefully crafted legislation that meets the requirements of the Constitution.

And that's just one of the cool features.  The site profiles potential nominees to fill Souter's space, includes a number of basic legal resources, and includes a section on other positions within the Obama administration (beyond just the U.S. Supreme Court), and how they may (or may not) impact the world of LGBT rights.

Check it out.  And stay tuned, because we're likely just days away from learning who Obama's pick to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice will be.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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