Lesbian Mom Nominated for U.S. Attorney

Jenny Durkan, a longtime counselor to Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, is one of President Obama’s first six picks for U.S. attorneys. She is also a lesbian mom, and lives in Seattle with her partner and two sons.

True, there are no out lesbians on Obama’s U.S. Supreme Court shortlist, and one might wonder if Durkan’s nomination was in part to ward off disappointment within an LGBT community already wary of Obama for not moving more quickly on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

I don’t think that was the case, however. As Chuck Wolff of the Victory Fund explains, it’s not as if there was a campaign for an openly LGBT member of the Supreme Court. Better to have someone qualified and fair, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Given how conservatives are planning to grill the Supreme nominees about marriage equality, furthermore, I think a straight person with a true sense of equality for all would be more likely to pass confirmation hearings than an LGBT person in any case. Much as I’d love to see a lesbian Supreme Court justice, I think this is one of those cases where a straight ally has a better chance of helping us move LGBT rights forward.

Regardless, Durkan deserves credit for her own achievements. Being U.S. Attorney is no small thing. We can all revel in the fact that there’s another lesbian mom out there being visible, having an impact on our country, and probably telling a good night story or two along the way.