US radio host: One federal appeals court judge constitutes an ‘over-representation’ of gay people

A US radio host has claimed that the recent appointment of an openly gay man to serve on a federal appeals court, and her estimation that 2-3% of all judges are gay, constitutes an “over-representation.

Following an approval vote by the US Senate, Todd Michael Hughes this week became the most senior openly gay judge in America.

The conservative talk show host Janet Mefferd, made the comments on her show, uploaded by Right Wing Watch. She suggested that Hughes had only been appointed because he is gay.

“Because he had to be gay?” she asked. “I mean, that was like a qualification, if you’re going to be on the appeals court you better be gay? That’s how it rolls now.”

“They mention that at least seven gay or lesbian judges now serve or have served on federal district courts; sounds like over-representation,” she continued.

“I don’t know how many judges are on that system but we’re talking about what, 2-3% of the population? This is over-representation but they don’t care.”

Right Wing Watch went on to note that there are currently six openly gay judges, and one more serving at senior level, compared to 874 federal judgeships, making the percentage of gay judges 0.77%.

Meanwhile, the nomination of Judge William Thomas, who would have become the first black openly gay man on the federal bench, has effectively been blocked after Republican Senator Marco Rubio announced he was withdrawing support.

Mefferd in February called the US public school system “morally bankrupt”, and went on to say that Christians should remove their children from public schools and “let them do their thing”.

She was commenting on the case of Sullivan High School in the US state of Indiana, which came under the spotlight after some students and parents urged for gay people to be banned from attending a prom, and called for a separate heterosexual-only event.

• Nov 29 2023

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