Senate Confirms First Openly Gay Federal Judge

The Senate on Monday night confirmed for the first time ever an openly gay male to serve on the federal bench.

J. Paul Oetken, whom President Obama nominated in January, was voted in, 80 to 13, by the Senate to sit on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“As the first openly gay man to be confirmed as a federal judge and to serve on the federal bench, he will be a symbol of how much we have achieved as a country in just the last few decades,” New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Monday, after praising Oetken’s talent and commitment to the law.

“The president welcomes the confirmation of Mr. Oetken and is confident that he will serve the American people with distinction from the district court bench,” White House spokesperson Shin Inouye said in a statement, according to the Washington Blade. 

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