News
It’s official: Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court
Vote narrowest in history for seating of justice to high court
With Vice President Mike Pence presiding over the chamber in case his constitutional duty to break tie votes was required, the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Kavanaugh.
The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh despite multiple allegations the nominee committed sexual assault. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate a teenaged Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when she was 15 years old. Kavanaugh also faced accusations of perjury based on his testimony, including his assertion the meaning of “Devil’s Triangle” and “boofed” in his high school yearbook entry weren’t sexually related terms.
Other critics said his response to the accusations in his testimony before the Senate, including an assertion it was a result of “revenge of the Clintons,” demonstrated a lack of judicial temperament and made him unfit for the Supreme Court.
The vote was largely along party lines, although Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W-Va.) broke with Democrats to vote in favor of nomination. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) came out against Kavanaugh’s confirmation, but voted “present” on the confirmation vote in the spirit of comity because Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) absent because he was attending his daughter’s wedding.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a supporter of LGBT rights who was a champion of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, was thought to be a potential “no” vote on Kavanaugh, but declared her support for the nominee Friday.
The margin was the narrowest ever in history for the confirmation of a justice to the Supreme Court, beating the 52-48 vote in 1991 to confirm U.S. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.
Raj Shah, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement the Trump administration would waste no time in seating Kavanaugh and arrange his swearing-in the day of his confirmation vote.
“The White House applauds the Senate for confirming President Trump’s nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” Shah said. “Later today, the President will sign his commission of appointment and he will be officially sworn in.”
According to the Associated Press, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and former U.S. Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy would swear in Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Progressive and LGBT groups, who opposed Kavanaugh since he was nominated out of fears he’d rollback LGBT rights and overturn Roe v. Wade, were indignant over the Senate approving his nomination.
Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement the confirmation was “a slap in the face to women and all sexual assault survivors.”
“It is also a blow to the legitimacy of the Supreme Court,” Minter said. “Kavanaugh’s belligerence and hyperpartisan attacks at last week’s hearing do not reflect the temperament or impartiality required for a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court.”
Kavanaugh now takes the seat on the Supreme Court formerly occupied by Kennedy, who was known as a moderate, dwing justice and wrote four major milestone decisions in favor of gay rights, including the 2015 ruling for marriage equality nationwide.
During his time as a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Kavanaugh wasn’t asked to deliver any rulings on LGBT rights. However, his inclusion on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees, chosen by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, cast doubt he would the interpret the law favorably for LGBT rights.
Stan Sloan, CEO of the Family Equality Council, articulated in a statement the concerns felt by LGBT rights supporters over Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
“Today, we recognize the deep disappointment and fear many Americans are feeling, and acknowledge the specific fears of the LGBTQ community as the Justice joining the Supreme Court has a record that indicates he would undercut our rights, uphold discrimination against our community, and allow President Trump’s anti-LGBTQ agenda to withstand judicial scrutiny,” Sloan said.
Many LGBT right supporters have raised concerns Kavanaugh will be the deciding vote reversing Kennedy’s landmark decisions on LGBT rights, including the decision for marriage equality nationwide. Kavanaugh’s responses on LGBT rights during his confirmation hearing left LGBT legal experts wholly unsatisfied.
The chances of reversing Obergefell three years after the court issued the decision may be slim, but marriage equality is but one issue Kavanaugh could face as a justice. Other LGBT-related cases that may come to Supreme Court with Kavanaugh on the bench including litigation challenging President Trump’s transgender military ban, whether federal civil laws against sex discrimination applies to LGBT people and whether “religious freedom” affords a right for individuals and businesses to discriminate against LGBT people.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement the confirmation was a “moral failure” on the part of the Senate.
“Justice Kavanaugh is a direct threat to the well-being of 2 million transgender people, and his confirmation is an insult to the millions of people who have survived sexual assault,” Keisling said. “Every time the Supreme Court strips more rights away, survivors will receive a painful reminder that decisions about their lives are being made by people who have been credibly accused of sexual assault.”
With Kavanaugh seated, many progressives are hoping outrage over the confirmation will contribute to the energy driving an expected “blue” wave at the polls in the upcoming congressional mid-term elections. However, new signs have indicated the Kavanaugh confirmation process has also generated a backlash among Republican voters, who are now telling pollsters they’re also energized.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement the “harmful consequences of the Senate’s decision to support Brett Kavanaugh will last decades” and urged voters to make their objections heard at the polls.
“In the wake of this news, there is only one course of action,” Griffin said. “The millions of Americans who have fought a valiant struggle against this Trump-Pence nominee must make their voices heard in November and beyond by electing lawmakers who will stand up for our rights rather than sell us out.”
Kavanaugh may not be out of the woods even though he was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has indicated a Democratic majority in the House would further investigate sexual assault and perjury allegations against Kavanaugh, which could result in impeachment proceedings.
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, said in a statement voters should head to the polls to November to contain and reverse the Kavanaugh confirmation and the Trump administration.
“Brett Kavanaugh has been granted the opportunity to ensconce President Trump and Vice President Pence’s hate-fueled anti-LGBTQ agenda on the nation’s top court for decades to come, threatening the hard-won rights of women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and all vulnerable people,” Ellis said. “We must turn our attention to the ballot box in November to protect and preserve our most deeply held American values, and resist the tyranny of the Trump Administration.”
North Carolina
Authorities investigate officer-involved shooting outside Asheville gay bar
Incident took place near Shakey’s on Wednesday
An officer-involved shooting outside of a gay dive bar, Shakey’s, in downtown Asheville, N.C., left one man dead Wednesday.
The bar released a statement the following morning regarding the incident, stating that bar staff had asked a patron to leave earlier in the night citing concerning behavior. The bar said that later the man was spotted with a gun in the parking lot.
The bar proceeded to call 911, locked the doors to the establishment, and followed dispatcher instructions on how to keep patrons of the bar safe while officers arrived. These protocols included getting patrons away from the windows and staying low to the ground.
According to Shakey’s, shots were fired outside of the business. When the Asheville Police Department officers arrived, they fired back. The individual died from their injuries, according to the police.
“Because of everyone’s quick actions, cooperation, and concern for one another, every customer and every employee inside Shakey’s made it home safely. We are incredibly thankful,” Shakey’s said on their Instagram page. They thanked Asheville police, emergency dispatchers, EMS, and all first responders who were on scene.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Chad Flowers, stated that the suspect involved in the shooting was Arturo Castillo Palomar.
The Washington Blade reached out to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for a comment regarding the possibility of the event being considered a hate crime. They said the issue is currently under investigation and that the findings would be turned over to the district attorney for review.
Baltimore
Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death
Ron Singer passed away on July 7
By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach.
Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business.
The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop.
The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.
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