(Washington, D.C. – October 28, 2019) – Lambda Legal and 20 other LGBT organizations joined a letter that was recently sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary urging the committee to oppose the nomination of Steven Menashi to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Sasha Buchert, Senior Attorney at Lambda Legal, made the following statement:

“The Senate Judiciary Committee must reject the confirmation of Steven Menashi to a lifetime seat on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals—which includes Connecticut, Vermont and New York. Mr. Menashi’s public record leaves little doubt that he will be incapable of administering fair and impartial justice to LGBT people and other marginalized populations who live in these states.

“Mr. Menashi has consistently expressed his animosity towards LGBT people in his personal writings. As our letter explains in detail, Mr. Menashi argued that LGB people should not be able to serve openly in the military, expressed his opposition to marriage equality, and criticized an LGBT organization for their work to advance hate crime legislation. The letter also explains that Mr. Menashi also went out of his way to praise transphobic writings.

“Mr. Menashi’s statements and views reflect the language of a partisan advocate, not of a federal judge, and they clearly demonstrate that LGBT people would not receive equal justice in his courtroom.

“Mr. Menashi’s confirmation would cause grave harm to LGBT people, as well as women, people of color, and other vulnerable populations that rely on the federal judiciary of the United States to acknowledge and protect their rights and administer fair and impartial justice. If Mr. Menashi is placed on the judiciary, we fear justice won’t be served, and we urge the committee to vote no.”