Supreme Court Overhaul Vital for Safeguarding LGBTQ+ Rights

The MAGA-led U.S. Supreme Court is moving towards decisions that could adversely impact LGBTQ+ Americans. President Biden has just unveiled a court reform proposal aimed at countering these actions. The urgency to implement this reform is underscored by past experiences.

For over seventy years, Michele’s family ran small businesses in Phoenix. This legacy faced a setback when the Supreme Court, last June, ruled that businesses could legally discriminate against LGBTQ+ patrons.

Michael Fornelli, who has welcomed the LGBTQ+ community to his safe space, BS West in Scottsdale, for more than thirty years, highlights another worrying development. This June, the Supreme Court allowed military-grade weapons, similar to the one used in the Pulse Nightclub tragedy, back into public circulation.

Since former President Trump appointed his third Supreme Court justice, securing a MAGA supermajority, the court has rolled back numerous freedoms. Decisions have set the stage for further anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and threaten to dismantle marriage equality, posing a grave outlook for the community if these trends continue unchecked.

Arizona’s lack of statewide LGBTQ+ protections compounds the problem. Efforts to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s protected classes have stalled for over two decades. Despite Governor Katie Hobbs’ commitment to veto discriminatory legislation, such bills keep reaching her desk.

Arizona’s MAGA-leaning state justices and lawmakers have exploited Supreme Court decisions to introduce numerous voter suppression initiatives and restrictive abortion laws. The assault on LGBTQ+ rights mirrors this trend, with potential future rulings threatening to disrupt families and create instability for children in the state.

Future Supreme Court decisions and legislative responses will critically affect access to education, medical treatment, and the overall quality of life for LGBTQ+ individuals. Many in the community have suffered deeply due to these policies.

Despite the fear these scenarios generate, there is hope. President Biden’s Supreme Court reform proposal, which includes term limits, an enforceable ethics code, and limits on broad constitutional immunity, suggests a path forward. It’s a crucial step toward restoring freedoms and renewing public faith in the judiciary.

Action from elected representatives, spanning the White House, Congress, and the state Legislature, is necessary to ensure that the march toward equality continues. Reformation of the Supreme Court remains an urgent call, critical to preventing a regression to less equitable times.

Michele White and Michael Fornelli urge lawmakers to support this reform to protect LGBTQ+ rights and maintain the advances made over the years. White serves as the executive director of the Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce, and Fornelli is a community leader and owner of a longstanding LGBTQ+ safe space.