General

D.C. rumour mill won’t let Kagan’s sexuality go

White house staff rebut claims that U.S. Supreme Court nominee is gay

As debate over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan heats up in Washington, her qualifications—and her sexuality—are on trial. Though observers expected rumours about the solicitor-general’s sexuality, which first began swirling in mid-April, when one-time Bush aide Ben Domenech, claimed on his CBS news blog that Obama might be considering Kagan to become the “first openly gay justice,” to fade, they seem to have done just the opposite. “If Kagan is practising immoral sexual behaviour, it reflects on her character as a judicial nominee and her personal bias as potentially one of the most important public officials in America,” said Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality. The mostly online discussion has prompted Obama’s staff to refute claims that the unmarried 50-year-old woman is gay, reportedly telling media outlets that she is in fact straight. In the meantime, however, the open-minded moderate has gotten a boost from two Republican Senators—Susan Collins (Maine) and Scott Brown (Mass.)—both of whom have publicly stated their support for her.

Montreal Gazette

Washington Post

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.