Conservatives Love and Liberals Hate This New Trump Nominee: 6 Reactions to Kyle Duncan
2. LGBT groups
Pro-LGBT groups like the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign put together an effort to lobby senators to oppose Duncans' nomination to the court.
HRC stated that Duncan's "record of anti-LGBTQ advocacy is alarming" and considers him to be nothing but a "dangerous extremist" who is "unfit" to serve.
In addition to the Hobby Lobby case, Duncan also defended the Virginia school district that was sued by transgender student Gavin Grimm, who sought rights to access the boys locker room.
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Among the other accomplishments in Duncan's career, HRC took offense to the fact that Duncan advocated on behalf of the state of Louisiana to uphold its ban on gay marriage.
HRC also stated that Duncan helped author an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in opposition to Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case that essentially made same-sex marriage a national right.
"Amid a slew of anti-LGBTQ nominees put forward by the Trump-Pence Administration, Kyle Duncan stands out for his long career fighting to limit the legal protections for LGBTQ Americans," David Stacy, HRC Government Affairs Director, said in a statement before the nomination. "The Senate must not give this dangerous extremist a lifetime appointment to the federal bench."
After the nomination, Stacy claimed that "Americans deserve judges we can trust to apply our laws faithfully and administer equal justice under those laws."
"Kyle Duncan fails that test," Stacy said in another statement. "It is unconscionable that the Senate has rubber stamped yet another unfit and extreme nominee to a lifetime appointment to the federal bench."
Rachel B. Tiven, CEO of Lambda Legal, claimed in a statement that "Duncan has made a career" out of "targeting LGBT children and families."
"The idea that Mr. Duncan will cast aside his bigoted beliefs overnight, and miraculously transform into an impartial judge, is ludicrous and reckless."
