Scalia again
draws criticism for antigay comments

Comments recently made by U.S. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia at a Swiss law school are raising the ire of gay rights leaders who argue it's further evidence of the need for fair-minded court appointees. While talking to students at the school, Scalia claimed there is no constitutional right to "homosexual conduct."

"Justice Scalia stubbornly refuses to see that all Americans have a right to liberty and privacy under the law," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. "Justice Scalia was dangerously out of step with Americans in 2003 when the Supreme Court decided this question, and he remains so today."

According to a clip aired on CNN, Scalia told students at the University of Freiburg in Switzerland, "Question comes up: Is there a constitutional right to homosexual conduct? Not a hard question for me. It's absolutely clear that nobody ever thought when the Bill of Rights was adopted that it gave a right to homosexual conduct. Homosexual conduct was criminal for 200 years in every state. Easy question."

"This is just the latest example of why it's so critical that fair-minded Americans think of the court when they head to the ballot box," Solmonese continued. "With the Supreme Court tipping further to the right, these sentiments could one day become reality." (The Advocate)