The recent confirmation of Nicole Berner and Melissa DuBose to the federal judiciary has significant implications for LGBTQ representation and the Biden administration. Since the beginning of the Biden administration, a total of eleven federal judges who identify as LGBTQ, including Berner and DuBose, have been appointed and confirmed to lifetime positions. This milestone ties the record set during the eight years of the Obama administration.
Civil rights advocates have long emphasized the importance of increased diversity on the federal bench to better reflect the country's demographics. The representation gap for LGBTQ judges has only begun to be addressed in the past three decades. Notably, Deborah A. Batts became the first known LGBTQ federal judge in the US when she was appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994.
During the Trump administration, the number of LGBTQ individuals confirmed as federal judges was notably low, with only two individuals appointed. The recent appointments under the Biden administration signal a positive shift towards greater LGBTQ representation in the federal judiciary.
The data analyzed by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a prominent lobbying group, underscores the progress made in LGBTQ representation on the federal bench. These appointments are a step towards a more inclusive judiciary that better reflects the diversity of the American population.
