Samael McCormick

On October 26th, my mom, grandma, and I sat in front of the TV as Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed into the Supreme Court. I sat in silent disbelief while my mom shot a worried glance over to me. She knew how much I had worried about this since her nomination was announced. I was worried about what it meant for my LGBT friends and me, and what would happen to our rights in the future. As she came over and hugged me, I could feel my throat start to tighten. Everything that people had worked so hard for in the past was in danger. 

Whether it’s well-known or not, Amy Coney Barrett is widely homophobic and transphobic. She supports (and is in alliance with) the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is a conservative, Christian law firm. They state that they, advocate for “religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, freedom of speech, and marriage and family.” However, ADF is not just a regular law firm; it’s one that takes on cases such as the Supreme Court case regarding a baker who refused to serve an LGBT couple because it violated his religious beliefs. Amy Coney Barrett actually successfully argued in this case…for the baker. Additionally, funded by the ADF, Barrett presented lectures on several legal briefs in opposition to Obergefell v. Hodges–the case that made gay marriage legal in the United States. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled ADF a hate group, and yet Amy Coney Barrett has repeatedly worked with and supported them. 

Continuing the theme of her working with openly anti-LGBT organizations, Barrett was a trustee for three years at Trinity Schools Inc. which barred children with same-sex parents from attending their schools and was open in letting people know that those who were LGBT were not allowed to teach. 

Working with the ADF and private schools is not the only instance in which the newly-elected Supreme Court Justice has been anti-LGBT. In regards to transgender people, she labels trans women (male to female) as “physiological males,” and said that Title IX protections do not extend to transgender people and said that saying it should Title IX should offer these protections puts “strain on the text.” While this may not seem like a big deal, having a person who does not believe that trans people are who they identify as is detrimental to society. 

Right now, the biggest concern is the Fulton v. Philadelphia case, one that argues a Catholic church should be allowed to turn away same-sex couples from adoption. With Barrett in the house, the power is shifted to the right-wing ideals, and taking into consideration her ideas and views… LGBT people are concerned. This may be new information to some of you reading, but I encourage looking in depth at the people in power and how they might affect your friends, family, or even yourself.