In middle of Pride Month, Senate confirms Texas judge who defended bakery that turned away gay couple
Published in The Dallas Morning News
Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative Plano-based lawyer who signed onto a letter calling transgender people delusional, was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday to a lifetime federal judgeship in Texas.
Despite uproar from gay rights groups, the Senate confirmed Kacsmaryk almost entirely along party lines. Only one Republican, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, publicly opposed the nomination ahead of the 52-46 vote.
LGBT advocacy groups and others had blasted Kacsmaryk, 42, accusing him of bias during a career as a conservative legal advocate.
Kacsmaryk has worked at First Liberty Institute with Jeff Mateer, an even more controversial Trump judicial pick who was forced to withdraw his nomination in December 2017 after revelations that he had called transgender children part of “Satan’s plan.”
Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn supported both picks. Last week, 75 LGBT groups sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging rejection of Kacsmaryk, calling him an “anti-LGBT activist.”