Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Block Federal Judicial Nomination

A state judge from Mississippi has been nominated to the federal bench by President Bush. He holds views on subjects including gay rights, among other things, that make him unfit for this life-long post. As the HRC notes:

In Mississippi a few years ago, the courts took away a woman's 8-year-old child.

Why? In part because the child's mother was a lesbian.

Two of the judges in the majority went so far as to write and sign an additional opinion, unnecessary to the case's outcome, which stated that the mother must accept the fact that losing her biological child was a possible consequence of her sexual "choice."

One of those two judges was Leslie Southwick. And today, Southwick is dangerously close to being appointed to the Federal bench by President Bush.

America's highest courts are meant to be protectors of justice, not prejudice. Yet Southwick's record as a Mississippi judge raises serious doubts about his ability to apply the law fairly to all Americans. In this case alone, Southwick:

  • Went so far as to cite Mississippi's irrelevant and outdated sodomy laws, which have since been invalidated.
  • Focused on "the practice of homosexuality" - refusing to even mention gay individuals as human beings.
  • Cited Mississippi's law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting children - even though this was not an adoption case!

The American Psychiatric Association has long held that sexual orientation is not a "choice," and that lesbian and gay parents are just as successful as their heterosexual counterparts.

Yet Judge Southwick disregarded widely accepted science in favor of his personal bias. This man MUST NOT be given the responsibility to protect the basic rights of gay and lesbian Americans.

If approved to the Court of Appeals, Southwick's appointment would be for life. That's why I'm asking you to take action today - and when you're done, please forward this message on to everyone you know.

You can contact your Senators via the form found here.

15 August 2007

No comments: