Thread by @jbendery

A really diverse mix of Biden's judicial nominees are getting their Senate confirmation hearing today. 1 appeals court pick, 5 district court picks.

But one of them, Charlotte Sweeney, just tested positive for COVID. She's testifying virtually.

In the mix today:

Holly Thomas, a family law judge in L.A. on track to be the 2nd Black woman to serve on the 9th Circuit.

Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, an L.A. County judge on track to be the only Black woman serving as an active judge on any of CA's 4 U.S. district courts.

Grassley's first question in this hearing, for U.S. appeals court nominee Thomas, is about whether she has concerns about girls being assaulted in bathrooms by transgender women.

😑

Grassley cites a recent case in Loudon County, Virginia where "a male wearing a skirt" assaulted a 14-year-old girl in a bathroom.

He asks Thomas if she stands by a 2016 claim that data doesn't support the claim that girls are unsafe in bathrooms with trans women.

Thomas says she's not familiar with the Va. case, will always be guided by law.

But FYI on the Va. case: Equality Loudon says it's unverified that this person was trans or gender fluid + a "grave disservice" to shift blame for this to any group. loudounnow.com/2021/10/18/equ…

Sen. Hawley is up.

He's back to asking Thomas about the Va. incident and whether girls can feel safe in bathrooms with "biological males" in the bathroom with them.

This is now two GOP senators' first question for a U.S. appeals court nominee.

Hawley: In light of the Va. case, do you still agree there's no data to show that allowing a "biological male" into a women's bathroom will lead to increased violence?

"What would you say the parents of this girl?"

Thomas: As a judge, I'd follow the law.

Hawley just used up his entire time trying to raise concerns about people using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

(There is no evidence that gender-segregated restrooms are safer than unisex restrooms. There are also already laws protecting people from criminal conduct in public restrooms. Hawley is fueling transphobic garbage here.)

More here: lambdalegal.org/know-your-righ…

Now Sen. Blackburn is up, and guess what she wants to talk about: people using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

"People want to know that their children are going to be safe."

Blackburn says Thomas needs to know "how unsettled that Tennesseeans that I represent are by your nomination" because of Thomas' previous defense of transgender people's rights.

Tennesseeans are *def* concerned about a U.S. appeal court nominee for a seat in California.

Well well. Here's a *very* interesting thread about the Loudon County incident -- which may be a concocted story to gin up GOP voters by stoking transphobia ahead of the Virginia governor's election.

Disgusting.

https://twitter.com/ggreeneva/status/1450570609369493507

More on this highly suspicious situation, which GOP senators are currently referring to as they try to attack a U.S. appeals court nominee....

Right-wing media blame trans-inclusive policy for a sexual assault in VA. It wasn’t even in place at the time. mediamatters.org/daily-wire/rig…

"The myth that trans-inclusive bathrooms allow predators to attack women has been repeatedly debunked; additionally, assaults and harassment are already illegal regardless of whether bathrooms allow trans people.:

Ted Cruz is up. Guess what he wants to talk about.

"It seems the women and girls never have any rights," says Ted Cruz, talking about people showering in public bathrooms.

Cruz is now acting very angry that Thomas did not know about the Loudon County assault until today.

The attack happened in May, and there has been no confirmation that the assailant identified as gender fluid or was wearing a skirt -- which GOP senators are claiming anyway.

It is increasingly looking like Republican senators are trying to blow up this incident -- echoing unconfirmed details aimed at fueling transphobia -- to try to help the GOP win the VA governor's race on Nov. 2.

What GOP senators keep claiming: a "male wearing a skirt" assaulted a 14-year-old girl in a Loudoun County school bathroom + the school's trans-inclusive bathrooms allowed this to happen + girls are not safe.

Several inaccuracies in this.

What actually happened: a teenaged male assaulted a 14-year-old girl, but no confirmation it was in a bathroom, no confirmation he was in a skirt or identifies as gender fluid, and the school's trans-inclusive bathroom policy was not in effect when this happened.

Republican senators are either knowingly lying about this to gin up transphobia ahead of the VA governor's race + echo the false claims being repeated by conservative outlets, or 2) they don't know what happened and are just reading off of false materials provided by staff.

Ted Cruz just parroting this crap in a hearing not even about this subject.

He referred to "a gender fluid individual" who assaulted someone's "9th grade daughter, who entered the girls' bathroom in a skirt."

3 falsehoods in that one claim.

Here's WaPo on this situation, if you want to actually know what's going on with this. washingtonpost.com/local/educatio…

Anyway, there weren't any senators in attendance for the second panel of judicial nominees -- four people! up for lifetime seats! -- so Sen. Padilla introduced them all, asked an easy question and adjourned.

ThE gReAtEsT dElIbErAtIvE bOdY!

A highlight of this hearing was Ted Cruz -- who has said he's "proud" of Texas' extreme anti-abortion law, SB8 --acting outraged about people using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

"It seems the women and girls never have any rights."

Also it's very 2016 to act outraged about bathrooms.