Conservative talk show host Janet Mefferd is not happy that the Senate, in a unanimous vote, confirmed Todd M. Hughes to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, making him the country’s first openly gay judge to serve on a federal appeals court. “Because he had to be gay?” Mefferd asked. “I mean, that was like a qualification, if you’re going to be on the appeals court you better be gay? That’s how it rolls now.”
“They mention that at least seven gay or lesbian judges now serve or have served on federal district courts; sounds like overrepresentation,” she continued. “I don’t know how many judges are on that system but we’re talking about what, 2-3% of the population? This is overrepresentation but they don’t care.”
Overrepresentation? Let’s see.
There are currently six openly gay judges (and a seventh serving on senior status).
Now, there are 874 federal judgeships. Meaning that openly gay judges occupy a massive… seven tenths of one percent of federal judgeships.
Without counting judicial vacancies, the figure comes to a whopping 0.77 percent.
Such overrepresentation!
