Washington: US President Barack Obama on Thursday charted new territory by nominating Staci Michelle Yandle the first African-American lesbian federal judge he's picked.
Yandle, who's in private practice, will be Obama's pick for the district court for the Southern District of his home state of Illinois. If confirmed, that would make her the first African-American judge ever on that court, and the first openly gay judge in the 7th Circuit, which covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
“I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” Obama said of Yandle and a handful of other nominees he put forward Thursday. “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
Other nominations were Stephen Bough to sit in the Western District of Missouri and Richard Franklin Boulware II for Nevada. Boulware would not be the first African American to sit in Nevada but Politico notes he will be the 57th African American whom Obama has nominated.
