PGN conducted interviews with candidates running in the May 19 municipal election about a wide range of LGBT issues, to inform our community about their positions and to form the basis for PGN’s endorsement decisions. We sent written surveys to all Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and the summaries of the completed questionnaires are included below.
Superior Court Judge Christine Donohue
Donohueforjustice.com
The daughter of a United Mine Worker and a union seamstress, Superior Court Judge Christine Donohue has roots in working-family values.
Throughout her career, Donohue has had the opportunity to litigate or preside over landmark cases protecting the rights of injured persons, holding corporations accountable for fraudulent behavior, eliminating bias against LGBT parents in custody matters and more.
Donohue supports marriage equality, the statewide LGBT nondiscrimination and hate-crimes bills and LGBT-specific sensitivity training for judges and court employees.
“As judges we must educate ourselves on all LGBT issues, including the insidious nature of crimes directed at members of the LGBT community,” Donohue said. “Within the context of our written decisions, judges can educate members of the bar and the public on the impact of such offenses on members of the LGBT community and society.”
Donohue added that, during her 2007 campaign for Superior Court, she hosted a reception at her home for former Congressman Barney Frank and, during that campaign, earned endorsements of the Liberty City Stonewall Democrats, the Steel City Stonewall Democrats and the Gertrude Stein Political Club of Greater Pittsburgh. Once elected, she authored an opinion that eliminated the presumption against a gay parent in child custody proceedings, “evidencing my commitment to equal protection under the law for all citizens,” Donohue said.
Common Pleas Court Judge Kevin Dougherty
Doughertyforpa.com
Judge Kevin Dougherty is looking to bring his nearly 15 years on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas to the state’s top court.
During his tenure as administrative judge of Philadelphia Family Court, Dougherty said, he worked to advance the interests of all children, including LGBT youth.
“I made it a priority to streamline the process for second-parent adoptions, dramatically increasing the amount of kids who were able to be placed in permanent, loving homes,” he said. “Whether the issue was custody rights, discrimination issues or violence perpetrated against someone because of hate, I made sure that my Family Court was one where all members of the LGBT community got a fair shake.”
Dougherty said he worked collaboratively with the commissioner of the Department of Human Services to ensure the “safety, treatment and education of transgender youth in juvenile detention. As a result, we established protocols and an educational curriculum for court employees related to the special needs of transgendered youth.”
After learning about a fellow Family Court judge who mistreated a transgender youth who came through the system, Dougherty said he volunteered to handle all cases of trans youth.
“I recruited judges belonging to the LGBT community to educate myself so I could treat my transgender kids with respect and dignity and ensure they received the services needed to get back on their feet,” he said.
As administrative judge, he selected the first openly gay woman to serve as the chief of court operations. He additionally recruited the first openly gay male and female judges to serve in the Family Division, he noted.
“I strongly value the importance of ensuring that those who work in public service at any level reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.”
Dougherty said he is a longtime supporter of marriage equality and the inclusion of LGBT protections in state nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws.
With three of the seven seats on the Supreme Court open, Dougherty noted this election is integral to the direction of the state’s top court for at least the next decade.
“Important issues like LGBT equality, women’s health, voting access, workers’ rights and redistricting are all on the line,” he said. “We need to elect the strongest slate of candidates who can win in the fall against the Republican ticket. My campaign has broad support and the resources it needs to run a winning statewide election.”
Common Pleas Judge John Foradora
voteforadora.com
Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge John Foradora said he is not a “political insider” and “rules according to the law,” which he said he would continue if elected to the state’s top court.
In 2001, Foradora became the second-youngest president judge ever elected in Pennsylvania and was the first Democrat ever elected to the bench in Jefferson County. Ten years later, Foradora was retained for a second 10-year term with 84 percent of the vote, the highest retention percentage in Pennsylvania over a four-year period.
Foradora said he granted adoptions to same-sex couples prior to marriage equality in the state and authorized name changes for same-sex couples.
Along with marriage equality, he supports the statewide LGBT nondiscrimination and hate-crimes bills and LGBT training for judges and court employees.
“I have been at the forefront of providing same-sex equality in my community,” Foradora said. “I have performed wedding ceremonies for all who have asked, even couples returning to my area from Texas during Christmas season. I have also allowed same-sex couples to adopt and I have hired and contracted with LGBT employers and providers. I strive to treat everyone equally and with the respect they deserve.”
Superior Court Judge Anne E. Lazarus
www.voteannelazarus.com
Superior Court Judge Anne E. Lazarus was elected to her current position in 2009, and was the only statewide Democrat to win a seat in that election. She chaired the State Conference of Trial Judges Ethics Committee for six years, has sat on the Judicial Conduct Board since 2011 and led an ad-hoc committee charged with reviewing the Canons of Judicial Conduct.
The Pennsylvania Bar Association honored her with its Judicial Award for Legal Services to the Public for her work in recognizing attorneys who excel in providing pro-bono legal service to ensure that everyone has access to the judicial system.
Lazarus said she is limited in many ways from advocating for pro-LGBT legislation because of her position on the bench, but she supports marriage equality, statewide LGBT nondiscrimination and hate-crimes bills and LGBT-specific sensitivity training for judges and court employees.
Lazarus said she has always been an ally of the LGBT community and would continue to be, if elected to the Supreme Court.
“I employ openly LGBT people on both my campaign and official staff, and my personal hiring policy is to not discriminate based on race, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Further, I have been committed over the years to recruiting and hiring a diverse staff,” she said, noting that commitment goes back decades. “In my courtroom, everyone is equal under the law, no matter your background, and when I was practicing law in the late ’70s and early ’80s I would regularly lecture and advise LGBT couples on how to protect themselves, their partners and their families under the law.”