VIDEO: Attorney General nominee does 'not understand' Ashcroft and Gonzales' treatment of gays
by
Michael Rogers and Nick Langewis
In response to a question from Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Attorney General nominee Judge Michael Mukasey expressed disagreement with the current Department of Justice policy around LGBT recruitment and Gay Pride activities. Since the end of Janet Reno's term as Attorney General, LGBT employees have been uniquely barred from announcing group events and aren't actively sought, like other minority groups, to fill vacant positions.
On questioning from Feingold, Mukasey said "I don't understand the reason for that treatment" under former Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales. In his testimony Mukasey alludes to a willingness to make a change.
Mukasey followed up with an explanation of his past hiring practices. "When I was a district judge," Mukasey tells the committee, "I interviewed and hired without regard to any matter relating personal life of a prospective law clerk--any matter of that kind; I see no reason why there should be any different standard at the department."
While the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT advocacy organization, has not taken an official position on Mukasey's nomination, HRC spokesman Brad Luna told PageOneQ that "It is certainly refreshing to finally see a White House appointee who acknowledges that LGBT employees at the DOJ should be treated fairly."
"We are very excited and happy that Mr. Mukasey is supportive of the efforts of DOJ Pride to educate the department's staff on issues of importance to the LGBT Communty," Chris Hook, president of the Justice Department's LGBT staff association DOJ Pride, told PageOneQ.
When asked about the future, Hook replied that the group is "looking forward to working with Mr. Mukasey and to having what we hope will be a large Pride celebration in June."
Calls to the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America for comment have gone unreturned since Friday.
Video clip and transcript follow...
DEVELOPING...
#
SENATOR FEINGOLD: Fair enough, fair enough.
Judge, as is the case in every federal agency of all three branches of government, there are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Americans serving honorably and effectively at the Department of Justice. The department sponsors commemorative events to recognize the contributions of various minority groups. But under Attorney General Ashcroft and Gonzales, in contrast to Attorney General Reno, it has refused to do so for the GLBT Americans. In addition, while DOJ Pride, an organization of GLBT employees, is permitted to use department space to hold events, it is prohibited from advertising those events on public billboards in department buildings, again, unlike other organizations for minority employees in the department.
Similarly, the department refuses to recruit at job fairs aimed at GLBT attorneys but sends recruiters to job fairs aimed at other minority groups. I am troubled by this. I suppose there is not much to be done about this administration's attitude toward gays and lesbians, but as Attorney General, you would have the power to end this shameful conduct. Will you stop the disparate treatment of gay and lesbian employees at DOJ?
MR. MICHAEL MUKASEY: I don't understand the reason for that treatment. When I was a district judge, I interviewed and hired without regard to any matter relating personal life of a prospective law clerk--any matter of that kind; I see no reason why there should be any different standard at the department.
SENATOR FEINGOLD: I'll take that as saying that you will stop the disparate treatment of gay and lesbian employees at DOJ?
In response to a question from Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Attorney General nominee Judge Michael Mukasey expressed disagreement with the current Department of Justice policy around LGBT recruitment and Gay Pride activities. Since the end of Janet Reno's term as Attorney General, LGBT employees have been uniquely barred from announcing group events and aren't actively sought, like other minority groups, to fill vacant positions.