Paul Oetken, First Openly Gay U.S. Federal Judge, Confirmed By Senate

The Senate confirmed the first openly gay U.S. federal judge on Monday. Paul Oetken, a New York City resident, was a former lawyer for the Clinton administration and most recently worked for Cablevision.

Oetken will serve on United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Oetken was confirmed by a vote of 80-13, with even some of the most conservative members of the Senate voting in the affirmative.

Chuck Schumer, the senior Senator from New York, first recommended Oetken for the seat. President Obama officially nominated him in January.

"Sen just confirmed my rec for fed bench- Paul Oetken, 1st openly gay man to ever be confirmed- living proof that #itgetsbetter", Schumer tweeted on Monday.

Although the vote is a historic moment for gay rights, as the Washington Post's Dana Milibank pointed out, "it was utterly unremarkable."

From Milbank's blog:

"The matter under consideration -- the nomination of the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench -- would at one time have been a flashpoint in the culture wars. But Paul Oetken was confirmed without a word of objection on the Senate floor and with hardly a mention in the commentariat."

Comments

[rhurc4]

01:44 PM on 07/21/2011

Welcome to the affirmative action club.

[European1919]

04:45 AM on 07/21/2011

This should have interesting consequences.

[Atwill]

09:01 PM on 07/20/2011

I am disgusted when someone types that this guy will just work towards the so called fictious "Gay agenda." there is no such thing. and what if he wasa fundie? a major bible thumper? woudl you say he would only try to pass bills for them? or if he were black, woudl he be against whites/ comeo n. he's a judge. He oboviously is doing something right

[talkstocoyotes]

09:36 AM on 08/04/2011

If there was a "gay agenda", I'd choose it over the christian taliban agenda in a heartbeat.

[DickRay Schliep]

08:01 PM on 07/20/2011

I understand the gay righs thing but also know that this man had to me more than qualified to get the support of the right wing Republicans. This is a very qyualified man who happens to be gay, whats the big deal?

[PBMac]

12:39 PM on 08/15/2011

Thank you.

[Liam McGinley]

07:12 PM on 07/20/2011

If a person interprets the Holy Bible as God saying he does not want a person to be homosexual, does that mean that person is a homophobe? if yes, that means all bible believing Christians who interpret the Bible the same way are homophobic doesn't it?

[Atwill]

09:01 PM on 07/20/2011

YES

[practiceempathy]

12:37 PM on 08/15/2011

YES

[njgal4obama]

04:10 PM on 07/20/2011

He went to my high school. Nice family!

[paul87920]

04:05 PM on 07/20/2011

I do not care about his sexual orientation. I just want him to do his job and do it well. I'm openly gay and I do not want that label to define how I do my job.

[duckpuddle]

04:27 PM on 07/20/2011

That is what a lot of "first" say. We'll be getting somewhere when being openly gay is not a novelty.

[mercury613]

03:50 PM on 07/20/2011

(sound of bigots' heads exploding)

[Scott Douglas]

11:46 AM on 07/20/2011

Very glad he got the job as a federal judge. But... question... if he gets married in NY he still won't get federal marriage rights. Does that strike anybody else here as wrong???

[duckpuddle]

04:31 PM on 07/20/2011

Yes it is wrong, but the law causing the issue had been found to be unconstitutional and is wending its way through the courts. And the Prsident endorsed the repeal of that law just yesterday.

New York doesn't have a unique honor. Federal marriage benefits have been denied to me since 2004 when I got married here in Massachusetts.

It takes time and work. Every step makes the next step easier and sooner.

[Atwill]

09:03 PM on 07/20/2011

Yes. it is a slap in the face .it is very wrong

[talkstocoyotes]

11:38 AM on 07/20/2011

Great news! Let's hope this is the beginning of openly gay judges being 'no big deal.'

[PBMac]

09:39 PM on 07/20/2011

Let's hope we get one of the Supreme Court!

[Atwill]

08:03 AM on 07/20/2011

This proves that being gay is not a menatal disorder. Thumpers are the ones with the mental disorder

[Frank Bourne]

03:51 PM on 07/20/2011

It doesn't prove that at all. And it is a disorder.

[duckpuddle]

04:33 PM on 07/20/2011

Homosexuality hasn't been listed as a mental disorder in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) since 1973. That is the reference book used by the mental health profession.

Join this century.

[Atwill]

08:16 PM on 07/20/2011

Really? thank you DR. Frank. If it is then why can gays be teachers, lawyers, judges, cops, fire fighters, nurses, Drs, coaches, ministers and so many other things? why isnt there a law against it? Explain.

[Atwill]

08:01 AM on 07/20/2011

Good another step in the right direction

[andromadextra]

01:20 AM on 07/20/2011

Is this just another special interest. Why can't we as Americans just all get along?

[duckpuddle]

04:34 PM on 07/20/2011

He's not a special interest. He is a gay person who was confirmed as a judge. What do you know of his politics?

Or do you think all gay people have the same interest?

[iedit]

11:14 PM on 07/19/2011

His being gay meant that he was personally familiar with many key Republicans in the Senate.

[duckpuddle]

04:36 PM on 07/20/2011

Not all gay people know each other.

And more importantly, closeted homosexuals (who you seem to be referring too), usually are uncomfortable hanging out with openly gay people.

[rockgod]

09:29 PM on 07/19/2011

Thank God that equality is one step nearer to reality :) !!