Supreme Court Quiz: How Much Do You Know About the Highest Court in the Land?

Do you have to be a lawyer to be a justice on the Court? Do you know the average duration of Supreme Court vacancies?

Take HRC’s quiz now and see how well you know SCOTUS. To take the quiz, just text SUPREME QUIZ to 30644.

Why is brushing up on Supreme Court knowledge so important? Because soon, President Obama will nominate an appointee to the Supreme Court – and if we don’t speak up and tell Congress to do its job this year, we could instead be facing a Donald Trump or Ted Cruz appointee next year. 

Just think about the major Supreme Court over the past several decades that have directly impacted the rights of the LGBT community — Bowers v. Hardwick in 1986, Romer v. Evans in 1996, Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, United States v. Windsor in 2013 and Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. 

This is why last month, HRC joined a broad coalition of 82 organizations in condemning Republican members of Senate Judiciary Committee for their unprecedented obstruction of the U.S. Supreme Court nomination process.

So, after you’ve taken our quiz on the Supreme Court, join us and tell these Senators #DoYourJob. 

www.hrc.org/blog/supreme-court-quiz-how-much-do-you-know-about-the-highest-court-in-the-land?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

White House Makes History; Appoints First Transgender Woman as LGBT Liaison

Today, President Obama appointed openly transgender woman Raffi Freedman-Gurspan as the White House’s LGBT liaison. She is first transgender person to have the job.

Freedman-Gurspan, formerly of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), was appointed as Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel in August 2015.  

“We believe it is a tremendous decision by the White House to recognize Raffi’s leadership as well as the importance of having transgender leadership in an important role for the community,” HRC Senior Vice President, Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof told Buzzfeed.

President Clinton created the role in 1995 but it was not continued during the Bush Administration. Other leaders who served in the role under the Obama Administration include Aditi Hardikar, Gautam Raghavan and Brian Bond.

This move comes at a significant point for members of the transgender community. While leaders, advocates and celebrities are breaking barriers and creating visibility like never before, members of the transgender community continue to experience high levels of anti-transgender violence and discrimination around the globe.

HRC congratulates Freedman-Gurspan on this immense honor and looks forward to working with her and the Obama Administration.

www.hrc.org/blog/white-house-makes-history-appoints-first-transgender-woman-as-lgbt-liaison?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed