Yesterday, national, state, and local civil rights leaders and LGBTQ advocates discussed the nomination of Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General and lifted up the voices of local leaders calling on United States senators, including Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, to oppose the Sessions’ nomination. The event was a part of a broad, national effort to call out Sessions on his record of hostility towards LGBTQ people, people of color, Muslims, and historically marginalized communities.
Stacey Long Simmons, Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs of National LGBTQ Task Force, said “The person who leads the Department of Justice should be someone who values the dignity and worth of all human beings and not those he or she chooses. Sen. Sessions’ record reveals him to be a person who’s on the wrong side of history. What’s worse is he’s actively worked to cause harm to LGBTQ people by voting against Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal, being against marriage equality, opposing including LGBTQ people in the federal hate crime law and not supporting transgender-inclusive public accommodations protections that include restrooms, etc.”
Tyrone Hanley, Policy Counsel of National Center for Lesbian Rights, said “Senator Sessions has a well-documented record of opposing bipartisan reforms widely acknowledged by leaders in both parties as critical to improving the fairness of the U.S. criminal justice system. Senator Sessions also continues to support draconian mandatory minimum sentences, despite their documented ineffectiveness and racially disparate impact. Recently, he opposed a bipartisan attempt to reduce unnecessarily long federal prison sentences for nonviolent offenses by helping to block the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which was supported by top Republican lawmakers."
Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania, said “The Attorney General is known as the “people’s lawyer” who defends Americans who are being denied their constitutional rights. While Senator, Jeff Sessions voted against letting gays and lesbians serve openly in the military, he voted to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, he voted against including LGBT people under Hate Crimes protections, and he voted to deny same-sex spouses Social Security benefits. Jeff Sessions has clear record of opposing LGBT people’s rights, the rights of people of color, and women’s rights. He will not be the 'people’s attorney.'”
Charlene Kurman, Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women's Philadelphia chapter, said “Throughout his career, Sessions used his position of authority to characterize LGBTQ people and same-sex marriage and relationships as "explicit" and "dangerous" to "traditional American moral principles. Under the Obama administration, the Department of Justice has worked for LGBTQ equality, including protecting transgender students. One of the most dangerous things Sessions could do as Attorney General is choose not to defend the basic civil rights of LGBTQ individuals"
Background information:
Jeff Sessions has consistently voted against rights and protections for LGBTQ people. In 2009, when he voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Act, Sessions showed his true colors when he said, “Today, I’m not sure women or people with different sexual orientations face that kind of discrimination. I just don’t see it.” Not only that, but he’s voted for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, against taking up a bill that would have provided workplace discrimination protection for LGBTQ people, and twice against repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
As reported by a coalition of organizations, Sessions’ initial Senate Judiciary Questionnaire had hundreds of concerning omissions. Despite a supplement of new entries submitted weeks later, a second report demonstrated that his application is still astonishingly incomplete. Furthermore, Sessions has grossly misrepresented his civil and human rights record by claiming that cases he had “no substantive involvement in” were among the most significant he personally handled. Sessions’ disregard for the Senate requirements shows a fundamental disregard for the office of Attorney General and for the Senate itself.
Republican senators’ decision to rush the confirmation hearing of their colleague and friend Senator Sessions silenced the voices of the American people, specifically those most vulnerable, who were directly impacted by hostile legislation put forth by Senator Sessions during his time in Congress. Sessions’ 30-year record of insensitivity and lack of respect for those in marginalized communities must be discussed.
