On February 20th, The Human Rights Campaign strongly condemned the
recess appointment of William Pryor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. In his role as Alabama's attorney
general, Pryor utilized state resources to advance his own political
goals and attack civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
Americans. He is on record using mean-spirited rhetoric that compares
gay relationships with incest and pedophilia and perpetuates hurtful
myths.
"We have no reason to believe that William Pryor – who has shown time
and again that he's unable to separate his anti-gay beliefs from his
professional duties – will be able to serve as a federal judge without
bias," said HRC President Cheryl Jacques. "Mr. Pryor changed his
vacation plans to avoid being at Disney World during gay days. If he's
too prejudiced to share a 36,000-acre theme park with openly gay couples
and their families, he should not be serving on a federal bench. It's
especially troubling that he's been appointed to the same court that's
been asked to rule on whether gays who serve as foster parents should be
able to legally adopt children they've raised their entire lives."
The 11th Circuit Court has been asked to review the decision in Lofton
v. Kearney, which upheld Florida's ban on adoption by gay and lesbian
parents even though they're allowed to serve as foster parents. There
are more than 4,000 children currently waiting for homes in Florida.
Jacques added, "Putting an individual with a track record of animus
against GLBT Americans on any federal court, particularly the 11th
Circuit, could have a devastating effect on so many GLBT Americans and
their children."
As Alabama's attorney general, Pryor abused his position by utilizing
state resources to directly and indirectly attack GLBT Americans in his
state and across the country. He linked the state attorney general's
website to vehemently anti-GLBT groups, including the Family Research
Council and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which
regularly litigates cases against GLBT rights. In contrast, his website
does not make any links to groups that supported GLBT civil rights.
Although most states with sodomy statutes on their books did not file
briefs in defense of their laws, Pryor filed an amicus ("friend of the
court") brief in the Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court case
challenging Texas's sodomy law. Pryor's brief likens homosexuality to
incest, necrophilia, pedophilia, prostitution and adultery. He also
argues in the brief that sodomy is a chosen behavior unworthy of
constitutional protection, and fails to recognize GLBT individuals as
people worthy of the same constitutional rights and protections that
other Americans take for granted.
"Mr. Pryor's remarks fly in the face of scientific and medical evidence,
and common decency. He has used his position to marginalize and malign
GLBT Americans. That kind of bias and blatant discrimination is not
appropriate for someone assuming a lifetime appointment to a federal
circuit court," said Jacques.
Pryor is one of only six judges that HRC has opposed out of
approximately 200 nominated by the president. More than 175 national
groups joined in this opposition – including the Log Cabin Republicans,
the NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America, People for the American Way, the
Sierra Club and World Association of Persons With Disabilities. (For
more information, visit:
http://www.independentjudiciary.com/nominees/nominee.cfm?NomineeID=46)
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