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Miami-Dade Judge William Thomas will make history. He’s been nominated by President Obama to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and if his appointment is approved by the Senate, he’d become the first black, openly gay man to ever serve as a federal judge.
In a statement issued by the White House to announce the nomination of Thomas and six other judges, Obama noted “they … represent my continued commitment to ensure that the judiciary resembles the nation it serves.”
Thomas currently holds court at the Richard E. Gerstein justice building, serving in the criminal division of the local circuit court.
Thomas would become the second black gay judge in America’s history. According to BuzzFeed, Bill Clinton had previously appointed Judge Deborah Batts, an out lesbian, to a position in New York.
So far Obama has appointed seven gay and lesbian lawyers to lifetime federal judge positions, though so far only three have been approved by Congress.
Thomas will likely have to wait a while until his nomination is taken up by the Senate.
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