WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate have confirmed Paul Oetken to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Oetken is considered the first openly gay man to be confirmed by the Senate for a seat on an Article III court.
“As the first openly gay man to be confirmed as a federal judge, Oetken will be a symbol of how much we have achieved as a country in just the last few decades,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “And importantly, he will give hope to the many talented young lawyers who until now thought their paths might be limited because of their sexual orientation.”
Judge Deborah Batts, who currently sits on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is considered the first open lesbian woman to be confirmed for a seat on an Article III court. She was appointed to the bench during the Clinton administration.
“The federal bench is greatly lacking LGBT diversity and with thousands of qualified LGBT attorneys in the U.S., there is no reason why the federal bench should not better reflect the composition of our country,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
