International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges Congratulates NAWJ on Historic Resolution

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges applauds the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) for adopting a groundbreaking resolution "Barring Future NAWJ Conferences in Jurisdictions Where LGBTQ Protections Are Repealed or Where Discriminatory LGBTQ Laws are Enacted" at their annual conference in Nashville, on October 9, 2021. 

The Resolution, which was shepherded through the governance process by NAWJ's LGBTQ Committee, sets a standard for all legal and judicial organizations to consider the personal safety and dignity of all its members when selecting conference or meeting sites. As announced by NAWJ President Elizabeth A. White, "At today's Annual Business Meeting, NAWJ affirmed the position we have always maintained namely, that we abhor discrimination of any kind, and we vow to continue to support all of our members without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation."

LGBTQ+ Judges Vice President, Judge Kristin L. Rosi, who chairs NAWJ's LGBTQ Committee, praised the NAWJ's LGBTQ members and allies. "I am immensely proud of NAWJ's LGBTQ Committee members. Throughout the effort to ratify this Resolution, they have consistently demonstrated profound commitment to equal access and dignity for our LGBTQ+ judges. They have put their personal stories into the public sphere with courage, vulnerability and strength. I applaud and thank them all."

LGBTQ+ Judges President Judge Tara Flanagan of Alameda County, CA celebrated the Resolution's passage, remarking "As judicial officers, we must always consider access and fairness – especially within our own organizations. When judicial meetings are set in states with anti-LGBTQ statutes and "bathroom laws" that prohibit judges from being their authentic selves, or render them fearful of recrimination, we are all diminished. Brava NAWJ for adopting this Resolution and setting an example for all to follow." 

Additional Information

Judge Tara Flanagan
President, International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges
[email protected] 

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SOURCE National LGBTQ+ Bar Association