National
Gay judicial nominee sails through breezy hearing
Oetken says he values ‘moderation and judicial modesty’
J. Paul Oetken (Blade photo by Michael Key)
A New York attorney who could be the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench breezed through a confirmation hearing on Wednesday during which faced only softball questions from Democratic senators.
J. Paul Oetken, nominated by President Obama in January to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, faced no opposition during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that only Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) attended.
In his opening statement, Oetken mentioned his partner, Charkrit “Makky” Pratayot, was in the room supporting him in addition to his brother and sister. Oetken said his father wanted to attend the hearing, but was unable because he was recovering from surgery.
Schumer recommended the nomination of Oetken to the president in September. During the hearing, the senator said he values “moderation and judicial modesty” in judicial nominees. Schumer questioned Oetken, along with the other three nominees giving testimony before the panel, what those words mean to him as well as what qualities he thinks are most important in a judge.
In response, Oetken said he agreed that moderation and judicial modesty and “crucial characteristics” for someone sitting on the bench. The nominee said the notion of judicial modesty has two parts: following precedent and decisions from higher courts as well as only deciding a case before a judge and not going beyond the controversy at hand.
“There are learned opinions that are decided for judges … in the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court [that] govern all decisions in the district court in the Southern District,” Oetken said.
Prior to his nomination as a federal judge, Oetken was practicing law at Debevoise and Plimpton. Since 2004, has served as associate general counsel at Cablevision. From 1999 to 2001, Oetken was associate counsel to President Clinton and specialized in First Amendment issues, presidential appointments, ethics, civil rights, and legal policy.
Oetken is also no stranger to roles as an LGBT advocate. The nominee has been involved with Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union. Additionally, Oetken co-authored a U.S. Supreme Court friend-of-the-court brief in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down sodomy laws throughout the country.
In his opening statement, Schumer commended Oetken for his qualifications and reputation for moderation, but also noted the significance of having the first openly gay male judge to sit on the federal bench.
“I also look for candidates who bring diverse views and backgrounds to the bench,” Schumer said. “Paul is the first openly gay man to go through an Article III confirmation process in this country, which makes this moment historic. But long after today, what the history books will note about Paul is certain to be his achievements as a fair and brilliant judge.”
Along with Oetken, the committee considered during the hearing three other nominations: Bernice Bouie Donald, who’s been nominated to become U.S. circuit judge for the Sixth Circuit; Paul Engelmayer, who’s also been nominated to become a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York; and Ramona Villagomez Manglona, who’s been nominated to become a judge for the district court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Whether Oetken becomes the first openly gay male federal judge remains to be seen. Obama in January also nominated another openly gay man to the federal bench, Edward DuMont. The president tapped him to serve as an appellate judge and to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Whether the Senate first grants Oetken or DuMont confirmation will determine who becomes the first openly gay male to serve on the federal bench. Should DuMont receive confirmation, he would also become the openly LGBT federal appellate judge.
While Oetken could be the first openly gay male to serve on the federal bench, he wouldn’t be the first openly LGBT person. In 1994, President Clinton nominated Deborah Batts, an out lesbian, to serve as federal judge also for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Following the hearing, Schumer acknowledged to the Washington Blade the significance of the nomination of Oetken and he commended the nominee for his other qualities.
“There are three standards when I nominate judges: excellence — the should be legally excellent and not a political hack; moderation — I don’t like judges too far right; I don’t like them too far left because they tend to make law; and third is diversity in all its ramifications,” Schumer said. “I’ve worked very hard to diversify the bench and find nominees that meet all three criteria. I’m very proud to nominate Mr. Oetken because it shocked me, basically shocked me, when I heard no openly gay man had been nominated to the federal bench anywhere, and there are hundreds of judges.”
Schumer said the timing for when the panel will consider reporting the nomination to the floor is up to Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Still, Schumer said he hopes the vote will come “as soon as possible.”
Erica Chabot, a Judiciary Committee spokesperson, said senators have up to March 23 to submit written follow-up questions for Oetken. After the responses are returned to the panel, the chairman can list the nomination for a vote during an upcoming meeting.
The Senate is considering the nomination of Oetken after the White House rejected the nomination of Daniel Alter, another New York attorney and former director of civil rights for the Anti-Defamation League, for the same position.
In October, the Washington Blade reported that the White House rejected the Alter nomination, which was recommended by Schumer, based on comments he reportedly made challenging inclusion of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and suggesting that merchants not wish shoppers “Merry Christmas” during the holidays. Alter has denied he made the reported comments.
Asked why Alter was never nominated, Schumer told the Washington Blade the White House never announced the Alter nomination for “private” issues, but declined to elaborate.
“There were internal reasons related to some issues, but nothing to do with gender, sexual orientation,” Schumer said.
National
LGBTQ Catholic groups slam Trump over pope criticism
‘Moral truth and compassion always overcome ignorant hate’
LGBTQ Catholic groups have sharply criticized President Donald Trump over his criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
Leo on April 13 told reporters while traveling to Algeria that he had “no fear of the Trump administration” after the president described him as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” in response to his opposition to the Iran war. (Trump on the same day posted to Truth Social an image that appeared to show him as Jesus Christ. He removed it on April 13 amid backlash from religious leaders.)
Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, during a Fox News Channel interview on the same day said “in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on with the Catholic church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.” Vance on April 14 once again discussed Leo during an appearance at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Ga., saying he should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Miguel Díaz; and Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, are among those who have criticized Trump over his comments. The president, for his part, has said he will not apologize to Leo.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” said Leo on Thursday at a cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon.
Francis DeBernardo is the executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based LGBTQ Catholic organization. He told the Washington Blade on Thursday that Trump’s comments about Leo “are one more example of the ridiculous hubris of this leader (Trump) whose entire record shows that he is nothing more than a middle-school bully.”
“LGBTQ+ adults were often bullied as children, and they have learned the lesson that bullies act when they feel frightened or threatened,” said DeBernardo. “But secular power does not threaten the Vicar of Christ, and Pope Leo’s response illustrates this truth perfectly.”
DeBernardo added Trump “is obviously frightened that Pope Leo, an American, has more power and influence than the president on the world stage.”
“Like most Trumpian bullying, this strategy will backfire,” DeBernardo told the Blade. “Moral truth and compassion always overcome ignorant hate. Trump’s actions are not an example of his power, but of his impotence.”
Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, an LGBTQ Catholic organization, echoed DeBernardo.
“He [Trump] has demonstrated throughout both presidencies that he doesn’t understand the basic concepts of any faith system that is founded on the dignity of human beings, the importance of common good,” Duddy-Burke told the Blade on Thursday during a telephone interview. “It’s just appalling.”
Duddy-Burke praised Leo and the American cardinals who have publicly criticized Trump.
“The pope’s popularity — given how much more respect Pope Leo has than the man sitting in the White House — is a blow to his ego,” Duddy-Burke told the Blade. “That seems to be a sore sport for him.”
“It’s such an imperialistic world view,” she added.
Leo ‘is the real peacemaker’
The College of Cardinals last May elected Leo to succeed Pope Francis after his death.
Leo, who was born in Chicago, is the first American pope. He was the bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru from 2015-2023.
Francis made him a cardinal in 2023.
Juan Carlos Cruz — a gay Chilean man and clergy sex abuse survivor who Francis appointed to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors — has traveled to Ukraine several times with Dominican Sister Lucía Caram since Russia launched its war against the country in 2022. Cruz on Thursday responded to Trump’s criticism of Leo in a text message he sent to the Blade from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
“I am in Ukraine under many attacks,” said Cruz. “Trump is an asshole and has zero right to criticize the Pope who is the real peacemaker.”
Tennessee
Charlie Kirk Act advances in Tenn.
Bill would limit protests, protects speakers opposing ‘transgender’ identities
The Tennessee legislature has passed Senate Bill 1741 / House Bill 1476, dubbed the “Charlie Kirk Act,” which, if signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, would reshape how public colleges and universities regulate speech on campus.
The measure targets all public higher education institutions and requires them to adopt a “free expression” policy modeled on the University of Chicago’s framework. That framework emphasizes that universities should not shield students from controversial or offensive ideas and requires state schools to formally embrace institutional neutrality — meaning they do not publicly take a stance on political or social issues.
Under the legislation, publicly funded schools cannot disinvite or cancel invited speakers based on their viewpoints or in response to protests from students or faculty. Student organizations, however — like Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses, founded by Charlie Kirk, and often lack widely represented liberal counterparts — would retain broad authority to bring speakers to campus regardless of controversy.
The law includes broad protections for individuals and organizations expressing religious or ideological beliefs, including opposition to abortion, homosexuality, or transgender identity, regardless of whether those views are rooted in religious or secular beliefs. It further prohibits public institutions from retaliating against faculty for protected speech or scholarly work.
The bill, which has been hailed by supporters as an effort to “preserve campus free speech,” ironically also limits protest activity. Shouting down speakers, blocking sightlines, staging disruptive walkouts, or physically preventing entry to events are now considered “substantial interference” under the legislation, making those who engage in such actions subject to discipline.
Some of those disciplinary consequences include probation, suspension, and even expulsion for students, while faculty who protest in ways deemed to violate the policy could face unpaid suspensions and termination after repeated violations.
Supporters of the bill argue it strengthens free expression on campus. State Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), the bill’s sponsor, said it reinforces a commitment to “civil and robust” debate at public universities.
“The Charlie Kirk Act creates critical safeguards for students and faculty and renews the idea that our higher education institutions should be centers of intellectual debate,” Bulso told Fox 17. “This legislation honors the legacy of Charlie Kirk by promoting thoughtful engagement and defending religious freedom.”
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, have raised concerns that the legislation effectively elevates certain ideological viewpoints — particularly those tied to religious objections to LGBTQ identities — while exposing students and faculty to punishment for protest or dissent.
“It’s ironic that this body is talking about free speech when we had professors in Tennessee schools expelled and suspended when they did not mourn the death of Charlie Kirk — when they said that his statements were problematic and that the way he died did not redeem the way he lived,” state Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) told WKRN.
Kirk, the right-wing activist and founder of Turning Point USA, for whom the bill is named, was assassinated in September 2025 at a public event at Utah Valley University. His legacy and rhetoric remain deeply polarizing, particularly among LGBTQ advocates, who have cited his history of anti-LGBTQ statements in opposing his campus appearances.
The bill now heads to Lee’s desk for his signature.
National
Demonstrators disrupt OMB director hearing over PEPFAR
Capitol Police arrested five protesters
A group of protesters interrupted Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought during his testimony before Congress on Wednesday.
Vought was at the Cannon House Office Building to give testimony to the House Budget Committee.
Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) began the hearing by touting what he described as economic accomplishments of the Trump-Vance administration’s economic accomplishments. Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) disputed those claims in his opening statement.
Boyle went on to admonish Vought for not attending a committee hearing in the previous year.
Vought, the “Project 2025” architect, was invited to speak after Arrington and Boyle made their statements.
Shortly after Vought began reading his statement, Housing Works CEO Charles King stood up in the gallery and began shouting, “PEPFAR saves lives: spend the money!”
The U.S. Capitol Police moved quickly to escort King from the room. Other activists began chanting with King as they unfolded signs bearing a picture of Vought’s face and statements such as, “Vought’s cuts kill people with AIDS,” and “Protect PEPFAR from Vought.”
The group of HIV/AIDS activists included independent activists, former U.S. Agency for International Development and PEPFAR staff, members of Health GAP, Housing Works, and the Treatment Action Group. Six activists were escorted from the hearing and the U.S. Capitol Police detained five of them.
The HIV/AIDS treatment activists protested at the hearing in response to the dismantling of global health programs, including PEPFAR, a federally-funded program credited with saving millions of lives from HIV/AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Russell Vought is directly responsible for illegally withholding Congressionally appropriated funds for PEPFAR and related global health initiative,” King said in a statement provided to the Washington Blade. “These funding disruptions have already contributed to preventable deaths and threaten to reverse decades of progress in the fight against HIV worldwide. Enough is enough. Congress must ensure Vought stops this deadly sabotage.”
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