The Senate voted 66-32 Tuesday evening to confirm the judicial nomination of Marisa Demeo, an openly lesbian judge.
According to SDGLN, President Obama appointed Demeo in March 2009, but heavy opposition from Republicans led by Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina blocked her confirmation for over a year.
DeMint held up the nomination largely because of Demeo's sexual orientation saying, "There are just a number of things that don't look like a fair-and-balanced approach that you'd like in a judge."
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), were less than eager with Obama's appointment. In a letter that was sent by TVC that was published Tuesday by ThinkProgress.org, the group wrote, "As an open, radical lesbian, Demeo has openly condemned the effort to amend our Constitution to protect marriage as a one-man, one-woman union...Demeo supports gay marriage, claiming it is a constitutional right. She also claims that LGBT individuals are equal to racial minorities and can claim protection as minorities under our civil rights laws."
Denis Dison, a vice president at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, told On Top Magazine that the Presidential Appointments Project recommended Demeo.
"We know some extremist groups oppose her nomination because she is a lesbian," Dison said," but that kind of bigotry has no place in discussions of an individual's qualifications for a job, especially in the U.S. Senate."
Demeo, a D.C. magistrate judge since 2007, has worked as a lobbyist and advocate for Hispanic causes and has a history of LGBT activism. She currently holds memberships in the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal.
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