A first gay justice?

Gerstein:

President Barack Obama is looking to advance diversity with his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter — and early speculation has focused on whether he’ll pick a woman, or perhaps the first Hispanic justice.

But gay rights groups — disappointed that Obama didn’t pick an openly gay man or woman for his Cabinet — are pushing him to put the first openly gay justice on the Supreme Court.

Within hours of word of Souter’s departure, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund was hailing the candidacy of a First Amendment scholar and former dean of Stanford Law School, Kathleen Sullivan. “Out lesbian a contender for Supreme Court,” one of the group’s web sites declared.

Another Stanford law professor on the “frequently mentioned” lists, Pam Karlan, has been open about being a lesbian, colleagues and former students say. In response to an e-mail from POLITICO, Karlan expressed no reticence about discussing her sexual orientation, though she downplayed talk about being a possible nominee.

“It’s no secret at all that I’m counted among the LGBT crowd,” she wrote, using a common acronym for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. As for the possibility she’d be nominated, Karlan said, “Given the landscape, I’m flattered, but not fooled, by having my name tossed around.”

Unrelatedly, a rave for Karlan as “(1) brilliant, (2) broadly knowledgeable — Cass Sunstein aside, I can’t think of anyone who knows so much about so many different legal fields — and (3) a spectacularly gifted writer” from a right-leaning Harvard Law professor, William Stuntz.

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Is the media ruining Adam Lambert’s chances of winning American Idol?

I don’t know why today it’s the big story, but suddenly everywhere I look there’s another story about Adam Lambert being gay. Or maybe gay. He’s never officially come out one way or the other. And it’s mostly the same story being recycled on every website or news portal imaginable, but while it’s asking the question “Could Adam Lambert become the first gay American Idol?” I’m asking if all these news stories could hurt his chances.

It would be foolish to say that we’re a nation that’s completely beyond caring about sexual orientation, just look at legislation across the country. And while former contestants have come out and admitted they were gay, most notably Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, nobody has admitted it while competing on Idol. And yet, Lambert has been the most ambiguous about it, which is a step in the right direction. Most people are just kind of assuming he is, I guess. But there is probably just as large a group out there that has no idea. And a lot of them may see these articles.

In a week where Lambert was in the bottom two despite having the greatest vocal range of the remaining finalists, and from what I’m told right here at TV Squad, the largest fan-base, you have to wonder if whether or not he is gay will have an impact on his ultimate finishing place. If he does win, is he going to be able to come out if he is gay? Does the show really care one way or the other any more? Speculation certainly has been that they’ve cared in the past. “Family friendly television” apparently means no gays, just ask Miss California. See Is the media ruining Adam Lambert’s chances of winning American Idol?

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