Justice Scalia’s Anti-Gay Comments Are Reminder of Need for Fair-Minded Legislators
‘Justice Scalia stubbornly refuses to see that all Americans have a right to liberty and privacy under the law,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
WASHINGTON - Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement regarding comments Justice Antonin Scalia made recently at a Swiss law school claiming there is no constitutional right to “homosexual conduct.”“Justice Scalia stubbornly refuses to see that all Americans have a right to liberty and privacy under the law,” said Solmonese. “Justice Scalia was dangerously out-of-step with Americans in 2003 when the Supreme Court decided this question and he remains so today.”
Solmonese continued, “This is just the latest example of why it’s so critical that fair-minded Americans think of the court when they head to the ballot box. With the Supreme Court tipping further to the right, these sentiments could one day become reality.”
According to a clip aired on CNN, on March 8, 2006, Scalia told students at the University of Freiburg in Switzerland:
“Question comes up: is there a constitutional right to homosexual conduct? Not a hard question for me. It’s absolutely clear that nobody ever thought when the Bill of Rights was adopted that it gave a right to homosexual conduct. Homosexual conduct was criminal for 200 years in every state. Easy question.”
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.