Brody's Notes... Judge Marisa Demeo Confirmed By U. S. Senate Despite Homophobic Smear Letter

Judge Marisa Demeo  Photo Courtesy Of  The D. C. Superior Courts

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Apr 22 | Denis Dison, a vice president at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, upon learning of the 66-32 Senate vote Tuesday evening confirming Judge Marisa Demeo to the D. C. Superior Court remarked;  

“We knew some extremist groups opposed her nomination because she is a lesbian,” Dison said,” but that kind of bigotry has no place in discussions of an individual's qualifications for a job, especially in the U.S. Senate.”

Judge Demeo's confirmation had been delayed by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) who told the National Law Journal's Legal Times in early February that he was holding up the nomination to serve on the D.C. Superior Court because she has a "history of very leftist activism."

"There are just a number of things that don't look like a fair and balanced approach that you'd like in a judge," DeMint told the Legal Times

D.C. Superior Court officials had complained that Sen. Jim DeMint's hold on President Obama's nominee for that bench could harm the court's ability to hear cases in the nation's capitol.

In an article yesterday, journalist Carlos Santoscoy writing for On Top Magazine reported:

Republicans opposed to Demeo have blocked her confirmation to the D.C. Superior Court bench since her March 2009 nomination by President Obama. Demeo, a D.C. magistrate judge since 2007, has worked as a lobbyist and advocate for Hispanic causes. She also has a history of gay activism and holds membership in several groups that advocate for gay and lesbian rights, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.

In a letter by the socially conservative group Traditional Values Coalition, senators were urged to reject Demeo because she's openly gay. The letter, obtained by the progressive website ThinkProgress.org, was published Tuesday:

As an open, radical lesbian, Demeo has openly condemned the effort to amend our Constitution to protect marriage as a one-man, one-woman union. Demeo supports gay marriage, claiming it is a constitutional right. She also claims that LGBT individuals are equal to racial minorities and can claim protection as minorities under our civil rights laws.

As a DC Superior Court Judge, Demeo would be in a key position to undermine our national security and destroy traditional marriage through her edicts. The DC Superior Court is known to be a steppingstone to the Supreme Court. 

Demeo’s radical lesbianism, anti-marriage, anti-national security views are dangerous to our nation. She should not be confirmed to the DC Superior Court.

Judge Demeo, who has advocated for both Hispanic and LGBT causes, has been a D.C. magistrate judge since 2007.  She was recommended for appointment by the Presidential Appointments Project, a joint effort of a dozen national LGBT groups led by the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.
President Obama has appointed more than 100 openly LGBT Americans to serve in his administration, including 25 to positions requiring Senate confirmation.  Five of those nominees are still waiting to be confirmed.