Beth Robinson, first openly LGBTQ+ woman confirmed to the federal US Court of Appeals

By Cassandra @ Rainbow Beloved



On November 1, 2021, the US Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Vermont Supreme Court Judge Beth Robinson to the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd circuit.  Her confirmation is historic - making her the first openly LGBTQ+ woman in a federal judiciary position.

This is huge!  And you will hear me repeating this over and over again: representation matters.

Apparently, out of the 870 federal judgeship positions that are nominated by the President of the United States of America and confirmed by the US Senate, only 13 are fulfilled by individuals who are openly gay or lesbians.

Only 1.5% of our country’s federal judges are openly LGBTQIA+.


Why is this important?


I’ll say it again: representation matters.


Repeat it with me: Representation Matters.


Once again, for those in the back: REPRESENTATION MATTERS!!!


Judges, especially those in federal positions, have the capacity to shape the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals across the country.  It’s important that the judges making these historic decisions that affect our community in such a profound way are able to come to table with a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.  How can we be guaranteed equal rights if we have little to no judges who can represent the LGBTQIA+ community?

If the name Beth Robinson sounds familiar - in 1999, she was co-council in the historic Baker vs. Vermont case where she helped pave the way for same-sex couples to receive the same rights and protections as different-sex couples.


Congratulations, Justice Beth Robinson!



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