1st openly gay male federal judge confirmed 80-13.....

[Rowdyboy]

http://www.google.com/search?q=paul+oetken&hl=en#q=paul+oetken&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&tab=wn&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f61a3370e8c91f80&biw=1016&bih=566

The Senate voted 80-13 late this afternoon to confirm attorney J. Paul Oetken, a former Clinton administration lawyer recommended to Obama by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as a U.S. District judge for the Southern District of New York.

Oetken, senior vice president and associate general counsel of Cablevision, was also a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun and worked in the Justice Department.

MetroWeekly notes, of the vote: "Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) were the only no votes."

Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade writes:

Oetken is first openly gay male to be confirmed to the federal bench, but not the first openly LGBT person. U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts, an out lesbian who currently sits on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is considered the first openly LGBT person to sit on a federal court. She was appointed during the Clinton Administration.


Great news but even better: I did not know there was an out lesbian federal judge. Thats excellent news too.

[CoffeeCat]

1. I went to high school with him...

Way to go J Paul Oetken, an incredibly intelligent and kind person.

:) :applause:

[Rowdyboy]

2. Very cool! And you guys are very young so potential is limitless....

[CoffeeCat]

3. So very true...and it warms my heart...

...to see how much times have changed since I was in high school. No one
talked about being gay, in the late 1970's/early 1980's. We went to a private,
Catholic school, so as you can imagine, people were truly in the closet.

Today, many of my classmates are "out". I see classmates who are now comfortable being who
they are. One woman is now married to her partner, but a few decades ago, she didn't
dare speak about being gay.

I'm so glad that times have changed. There is still a long way to go--but humanity
evolves forward when people are able to be authentic and happy.

[bigwillq]

4. Cool.

Congrats, Judge Oetken. :bounce:

:thumbsup:

[William769]

5. K&R.