Obama Nominee for Judge Could Be First Openly Gay Man on the Federal Bench

[Tx4obama]

Obama Nominee for Judge Could Be First Openly Gay Man on the Federal Bench
By BENJAMIN WEISER

President Obama has nominated a former Clinton administration lawyer to be a federal judge in Manhattan; he could become the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench in the United States.

The lawyer, J. Paul Oetken, 45, is a senior vice president and associate general counsel of Cablevision.

He is one of two openly gay men whose nominations are pending to the federal courts. The other is Edward C. DuMont, a lawyer who has been nominated to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x601668

[RKP5637]

1. Excellent!!! n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

2. I don't think so.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/08/06/2010-08-06_judge_vaughn_walkers_sexual_orientation_sparks_ire_over_fairness_on_prop_8_sames.html

[Tx4obama]

3. BUT, it says in the article on the link you posted ....

".... although Walker himself hasn't addressed the speculation about his sexual orientation. "

So, if he is not openly gay, then he would not count as the 'first openly gay appointed federal judge'.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Good point.

Thanks for pointing that out. He's known to be gay, but he hasn't publicly said so himself.

[Tx4obama]

5. Off topic

Btw, here in Houston we now have our first openly gay female mayor.
It makes me laugh when I hear people saying how conservative Texas is :)

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Well here in Mass...

being gay is mandatory for holding office. :hi:

[Tx4obama]

7. Obama Announces THREE High-Profile LGBT Appointments

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/obama-announces-lgbt-appointments_n_814852.html