Openly Lesbian judge takes oath in Michigan

STAFF REPORTS | DETROIT --  The first openly lesbian federal judge in the U.S. 6th Circuit was sworn in Tuesday by Chief Judge Gerald Rosen of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Judith Levy 55, was flanked by family, friends, colleagues and other well-wishers as she was installed as a federal judge.

Levy was an assistant U.S. attorney before she was nominated to the federal bench last year by President Barack Obama.

A former civil rights attorney, Levy also was the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights division.

She thanked her family and her colleagues for their support during her installation ceremony, reported The Detroit News.

“My thanks runs as deeply as appreciation goes,” Levy said. “At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I found a professional and personal home that was welcoming, demanding of the highest standards. ... We are asked to achieve justice for our client, the United States, and we are given the resources and the encouragement to do that.”

Speaking about her experience when she came out as a lesbian in 1977 Levy remarked,

[...] "When I opened that closet door, other doors closed,” said Levy. “But our country is changing and the fact that this door has opened for me means that it is open for many others. I am so grateful.”

Levy received both her undergraduate and law school degrees from the University of Michigan, where she is also a professor at the university's Law School.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals comprises federal courts in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.