Trump’s Supreme Court Pick Could Be Bad For LGBTQ Rights
On the weekend, President Trump announced federal judge Amy Coney Barrett as his pick for the Supreme Court, a choice that has raised concerns for the future of LGBTIQ rights in the United States, Vox reports.
Barrett, who is believed to be staunchly conservative, clerked for the arch-conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In 2015, Barrett signed a letter to Catholic bishops that detailed her personal beliefs including “marriage and family is founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman.”
This statement likely suggests Barrett is opposed to same-sex marriage and the expansion of LGBTIQ rights, although she hasn’t publicly come out with a statement on either.
During her acceptance speech at the White House, Barrett acknowledged both Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Scalia pointing out, “His judicial philosophy is mine, too.
“A judge must apply the law as written. Judges are not policymakers and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold,” Barrett said.
Barrett’s nomination is likely to be rushed through the Senate ahead of the November presidential election and if successful will tip the balance of the Supreme Court bench further in the conservative’s favour. Justices are giving life terms, so the impact of this could be felt for years to come.
Barrett is a professor of law at the Catholic Notre Dame University where she graduated in 1997.
