Massachusetts taps lesbian for top court

Written by Reuters

Monday, 04 April 2011 23:26

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on Monday nominated Barbara Lenk, a lesbian, to fill an opening on the state's highest court.

If confirmed, Lenk would be the first openly gay Supreme Court justice in Massachusetts and one of only a handful at that level in the country. Lenk, who married after Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, attended a press conference with her wife and their two daughters.

"I will bring with me the sympathy and understanding of one who has experienced a full life from both inside and outside the mainstream," Lenk said of her nomination.

Lenk, 60, is a native of Queens, New York, the daughter of a book-binder and housekeeper.

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