News / Society

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has been approved by the Senate after Republicans changed the rules to railroad through a vote.

President Trump has picked appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, citing his conservative values. Judge Gorsuch is a strict originalist who is likely to reject arguments that interpret the Constitution as affording protections for LGBT rights, and is likely to upset the fragile balance between liberals and conservatives on the court.During his confirmation hearing in the Senate, Gorsuch avoided questions on LGBT rights, simply stating that “The Supreme Court of the United States has held that single-sex marriage is protected by the Constitution”. He did not clarify his actual legal viewpoints. The Human Rights Campaign has opposed Gorsuch’s nomination, while GLAAD also voiced concerns. Democrats had vowed to block his confirmation in the Senate, but Gorsuch was confirmed today after Republicans changed the voting rules to force him through with a simple majority.