Am I alone in thinking the religious right won't be pleased with
this news?
Supreme Court nominee John Roberts worked behind the scenes for a coalition of gay-rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people against discrimination because of their sexual orientation.
It's interesting to note that Roberts did not disclose his work on this case in his Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire. Was that just an "oversight" (as it's described in the article)? Even though:
The committee asked for "specific instances" in which he had performed pro bono work, how he had fulfilled those responsibilities and the amount of time he had devoted to them.
Or was this a facet of Roberts background that was hidden during the drive to gain the support of conservative religious leaders for Roberts nomination?
You know, had I read about his work on this case before today, it would have given me a glimmer of hope that Roberts eventual seating on the SCOTUS wouldn't be a total disaster. Of course Armando's
diary outlining Roberts' belief that there is no right to privacy shot that all to hell. But this does raise the possibility of Roberts losing support among the Christian rightwing...as Frist has so painfully learned, Dobson and company do not allow any straying from the party line. And the
Focus on the Family crowd won't like hearing that Roberts aided:
...in what gay activists described at the time as the movement's most important legal victory.
Personally, I think it's important for for this element of John "gay-rights-activist" Roberts background to be widely publicized. I'd like everyone to know that Roberts is such a good Christian.