History has been made after Paul Oetken became the first openly gay man to be confirmed as a federal judge. Oetken was appointed yesterday after a majority vote of 80 to 13 in the Senate. Communications Director for Equality Florida, Ryan Winfield, says the confirmation shows progress in the fight for equality.
“In this particular case, we think that he was judged on his qualifications and that’s exactly how it should be,” he said.
Winfield adds that the federal government is now catching up with the rest of the nation on this issue. Oetken could take his seat as a federal judge in Manhattan as soon as this week.