Democrat senator chastises Supreme Court nominee over term ‘sexual preference’

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii scolded Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett Tuesday for her choice of verbiage when questioning her saying, “You use the term ‘sexual preference when describing those in the LGBTQ community” Sen. Hirono went on to say “Sexual preference is an offensive and outdated term. It is used by anti-LGBTQ activists to suggest that sexual orientation is a choice. It is not. Sexual orientation is a key part of a person’s identity.”

Hirono also went on to lecture Amy Coney Barrett on how sexual orientation is a normal expression of human sexuality in her opinion and was a key part of the majority’s opinion in Obergefell as she read a list of dissenting opinions by Justice Scalia in court cases some of which related to the states rights to approve or disapprove laws in their states regarding to things such as same-sex marriage rather than have the supreme court or federal government decide for the entirety of the nation.

Hirono went on to say of the words ‘Sexual Preference’ saying, she did not think it was an accident that Amy Coney Barret used those words. Sen. Hirono lectured Justice Barret on the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in the “Obergefell v. Hodges” which was the case that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country. Stating if she is confirmed she feels she would quote, “press gays back into the closet.”

While the democratic senator used most of her time to lecture Amy Coney Barrett on her opinions of sexual orientation, how she believes Amy Coney Barret will rule on hypothetical cases, and other Justices jurisprudence. She managed to slip a few questions in there asking if Amy Coney Barrett had ever sexually assaulted someone or traded sexual favors for things.

Later democratic Sen. Corey Booker asked the Barrett about her verbiage asking her “When you did use the term sexual preference earlier today rather than sexual orientation, is there a difference and what is it? Barrett said she “I honestly did not mean any offense or to make any statement by that.”