Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies

By
Paige Cooperstein
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday.

Scalia, 79, reportedly died in his sleep while on a hunting trip in Texas. Scalia was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and was considered the leader of the conservative sector of the Supreme Court.

Scalia voted from a strongly conservative standpoint: He was anti-choice, backed gun rights and opposed the expansion of LGBT rights, including marriage equality. He voted against the 2013 overturning of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and last year’s legalization of same-sex marriage.

In his dissent, Scalia blasted the decision, using the scathing, colorful language for which he was known, calling the ruling a “threat to American democracy.”

Debate has already begun about naming a justice to fill the vacancy, with a number of Republican leaders pledging to block any nomination President Barack Obama attempts to move through in his final months in office.

LGBT leaders are among those calling for swift action on a nomination.

On Tuesday, Equality Pennsylvania launched a petition calling on Sen. Pat Toomey — who has said he believes the next president should pick Scalia’s replacement — to ensure a “fair hearing and timely vote” for Obama’s nominee. To sign the petition, visit http://ow.ly/Ymb15.  

“The Supreme Court plays a critical role in making decisions on issues that affect all of the American people, and in the past year, we have seen what an impact Supreme Court decisions have the on the LGBT community,” said Equality PA executive director Ted Martin. “That’s why it is so important to ensure that Supreme Court nominations happen in a timely way and with bipartisan cooperation.”

Mazzoni Center legal and public-policy director Thomas Ude Jr., called Scalia a “a giant in the legal community [who] left a deep imprint on the national scene,” adding, “We’d hope that whoever the president nominates or whoever a future president nominates to such an important position would be someone who recognizes the importance of equality for all Americans, including LGBT people.”
 
Aaron Potenza, director of programs for Garden State Equality, told PGN the vacancy creates the opportunity to have a more progressive voice, who may ultimately be asked to weigh in on such issues as LGBT nondiscrimination laws.
 
“It is no secret that Justice Scalia was opposed to extending civil rights, such as marriage, to LGBT Americans,” Potenza said. “A successor to Scalia, appointed by President Obama, could tip the court in favor of rulings that would interpret existent federal nondiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression under [the protections from discrimination based on] sex. Such rulings would go a long way toward ensuring a more just and equal society for LGBT people.”
 

 

 

 

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