NGLTF Renews Call for Removal of Alabama Official: "Proven He Is Unfit to
Serve, He Should Be Removed"
Chief Justice Cited "Confinement" and "Execution" in
Opinion Removing Children from Lesbian Mother
National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, February 22, 2002
1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20009
Press Release
Contact:
Betsy Gressler, Director of Public Affairs
202-332-6483 ext 3306
800-757-6476 (pager)
bgressler@ngltf.org
In the face of growing national outrage, Lorri L. Jean, Executive Director
of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, today repeated calls for the
removal of Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court. Moore wrote a
hate-filled and homophobic opinion to supplement the Court’s 9-0 decision on
February 15 awarding custody of three teens to their father rather than their
lesbian mother.
At a press conference and rally today in Montgomery, Jean stated (complete
text follows this release):
"I am here on behalf of millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people and our families and friends all over the nation who are
appalled that the Alabama Supreme Court purports to be a fair and just
tribunal... In an opinion that is stunning in its hatred and ignorance, Chief
Justice Moore has branded an entire class of people as abhorrent, immoral,
detestable, evil… He has even gone so far as to write that the state should
jail and execute homosexuals simply ecause of whom we love. In so doing, he
has proven he is unfit to serve as a judge, and he should be removed.
"Today I call upon all elected officials of the state of Alabama to
take a moral stand on behalf of fairness and against bigotry, against hatred
and ignorance, against religious intolerance and extremism…I call upon you
to restore the possibility of justice for ALL people in the Alabama courts by
removing Chief Justice Moore from his position."
Since Moore’s remarks one week ago, a groundswell of national support
from individuals, advocacy organizations, and newspapers have called for his
removal from office. Organizations who participated in the press conference
included the NGLTF, the Human Rights Campaign, Equal Partners in Faith,
Equality Begins at Home of Central Alabama, Alliance for Civility and
Tolerance, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama.
In his opinion, Chief Justice Moore called homosexuality "abhorrent,
immoral," and "detestable." In supporting the Court’s
decision, he stated, "if a person openly engages in such a practice, that
fact alone would render him or her an unfit parent." In what is
undoubtedly the most outrageous section of his statement, Moore advocates
extreme measures citing that "protection of the family is a
responsibility of the State." He continues: "The State carries the
power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit conduct with physical
penalties, such as confinement and even execution. It must use that power to
prevent the subversion of children toward this lifestyle, to not encourage a
criminal lifestyle."
Full text of remarks, attributable to Lorri L. Jean:
"I have come to Montgomery today to stand in solidarity with our
hundreds of members who live in Alabama and with ALL fair-minded Alabamans—people
who are hurt and ashamed and angry at the blatant bigotry and unrepentant
ignorance that has spewed forth from the Alabama Supreme Court.
"I am here on behalf of millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people and our families and friends all over the nation who are
appalled that the Alabama Supreme Court purports to be a fair and just
tribunal. There is no justice in the Alabama Supreme Court for gay people. In
an opinion that is stunning in its hatred and ignorance, Chief Justice Moore
has branded an entire class of people as abhorrent, immoral, detestable, evil.
It’s bad enough that he has sought to impose his personal religious beliefs
upon all Alabamans-in clear violation of our constitutional mandate of
separation of church and state. But he has even gone so far as to write that
the state should jail and execute homosexuals simply because of whom we love.
In so doing, he has proven he is unfit to serve as a judge, and he should be
removed.
"On September 11 the entire nation saw what happens when religious
intolerance and extremism rule the day. Moore’s opinion could have been
written by the Taliban. He has proven that he is a religious fanatic who
cannot separate his personal beliefs from his judicial mandate to dispense
fair and impartial justice. There is no place for such fanaticism in the
courts of America.
"Sadly, this is not the first time that the people of this state or
the people of Montgomery have faced ignorance and bigotry and oppression at
the hands of the state. The modern civil rights movement began right here 46
years ago with Rosa Parks. In a speech four days later to the First Montgomery
Improvement Association, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., concluded with some
prophetic words. He said, in part: "When the history books are written in
the future, somebody will have to say, ‘There lived a … people who had the
moral courage to stand up for their rights. And thereby they injected a new
meaning into the veins of history and of civilization.’"
"Indeed history has recognized those brave people. They were the
fair-minded people of Montgomery. They were in Montgomery 46 years ago, and
they are here today. Joined by all of us and by courageous and fair-minded
people across the state and throughout the nation. And just as freedom and
fairness prevailed then, so too shall we emerge victorious. Whether it takes
two days, two years or 200 years, we will never give up.And rest assured, we
will win, because a right is on our side.
"Today I call upon all elected officials of the state of Alabama to
take a moral stand on behalf of fairness and against bigotry, against hatred
and ignorance, against religious intolerance and extremism. I call upon you to
join the vast majority of Americans who support equal rights for gay and
lesbian people. I call upon you to restore the possibility of justice for ALL
people in the Alabama courts by removing Chief Justice Moore from his
position."
-end-
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