Obama Nominates Lesbian for Federal Bench

The White House announced the nomination of Alison J. Nathan, an out lesbian, for a position on the U.S. district court for the southern district of New York Thursday.

"Alison Nathan is a distinguished individual who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice throughout her career," said President Obama in a statement. "I am grateful for her decision to serve the American people from the District Court bench."

Nathan, known by the first name "Ali," has served in the office of the New York state attorney general as special counsel to the solicitor general since 2010. Prior to that, she served as special assistant to President Obama and an associate White House counsel from 2009 to 2010. A graduate of Cornell Law School, she spent considerable time as an academic after serving as a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens and Judge Betty Fletcher of the ninth circuit court of appeals.

Nathan is the third out LGBT person nominated by President Obama for the federal court for the southern district of New York. J. Paul Oetken had a confirmation hearing last month, and the nomination of Daniel Alter was withdrawn last year. The president also nominated Edward DuMont to the U.S. court of appeals for the federal circuit last year, but he still has not had a confirmation hearing.

Metro Weekly reports that Nathan lives in New York with her partner, Meg Satterthwaite, and their twin sons, Oliver and Nathan.