You are here: Home » Featured » Senator Schumer Nominates Openly Gay Man To Federal Bench

Senator Schumer Nominates Openly Gay Man To Federal Bench

02/09/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
While Federal Judge Vaughn Walker is openly gay, that fact was probably not known when he was first nominated to the Federal bench. New York Senator Charles Schumer has put forward for nomination Daniel Alter. As a Federal bench nominee, Alter would be the first openly gay man nominated whereby his sexual orientation is known at the time of his nomination. Judge Walker’s sexuality was not widely known before recently, though it was not a secret, as indicated by LGR’s own Melanie Nathan. While judges are appointed for life, many serve somewhere between thirty and forty years before retiring depending upon the age when they are first appointed to the bench. In Judge Walker’s case, he has been on the bench for some thirty years having been appointed by President George W. Bush.

The press release from Chuck Schumer’s office states: “Daniel Alter couldn’t be a more perfect choice. He is a brilliant attorney who possesses the knowledge, balanced views and temperament required of a federal judge,” Schumer said. “His outstanding leadership skills, his commitment to justice, and his extensive experience make him an exceptional choice for a position on the federal bench. I’m proud to nominate Daniel Alter. Period. But I am equally proud to nominate him because he is a history-maker who will be the first openly gay male judge in American history.”

Daniel Alter is currently the National Director of the Civil Rights Division of the Anti-Defamation League. He has worked in the past as Assistant US District Attorney. Schumer has nominated him to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. There are currently three vacancies in that district with one of those four being created when Justice Sonia Sotomayor was elevated to the US Supreme Court. Three others, with only two so far confirmed, have been nominated to the Court of Appeals. New York is part of the Second Circuit which covers New York, Vermont,and Connecticut.