Below is a list of the names of openly LGBT persons who have served on the highest court of a state or territory in the United States.
The first state with an openly LGBT justice was Oregon, where Rives Kistler was named to the bench in 2003.[1] The first U.S. territory with an openly LGBT justice was Guam, where Benjamin Cruz was appointed in 1997.[2] As of January 12, 2024[update], there are 11 openly LGBT state supreme court justices, serving in 10 states.
Order | State | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice | As chief justice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Colorado | Colorado Supreme Court | Monica Márquez | [3] | 2010–present | – |
2 | Hawaii | Supreme Court of Hawaii | Sabrina McKenna | [4] | 2011–present | – |
3 | Connecticut | Connecticut Supreme Court | Andrew J. McDonald | [5] | 2013–present | – |
4 | Washington | Washington Supreme Court | Mary Yu | [6] | 2014–present | – |
5 | Minnesota | Minnesota Supreme Court | Margaret Chutich | [7] | 2016–present | – |
6 | Nevada | Supreme Court of Nevada | Lidia S. Stiglich | [8] | 2016–present | 2023-2024 |
7 | New Mexico | New Mexico Supreme Court | C. Shannon Bacon | [9] | 2019–present | 2022–2024 |
8 | Washington | Washington Supreme Court | Helen Whitener | [10] | 2020–present | – |
9 | California | Supreme Court of California | Martin Jenkins | [11] | 2020–present | – |
10 | New York | New York State Court of Appeals | Anthony Cannataro | [12] | 2021–present | 2022-2023 |
11 | California | Supreme Court of California | Kelli Evans | [13] | 2023–present | – |
Order | State | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oregon | Oregon Supreme Court | Rives Kistler | [1] | 2003–2018 |
2 | Oregon | Oregon Supreme Court | Virginia Linder | [14] | 2007–2016 |
3 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | Barbara Lenk | [15] | 2011–2020 |
4 | New York | New York State Court of Appeals | Paul Feinman | [16] | 2017–2021 |
5 | Vermont | Vermont Supreme Court | Beth Robinson | [17] | 2011–2021 |
6 | Oregon | Oregon Supreme Court | Lynn Nakamoto | [18] | 2016–2021 |
7 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | Elspeth B. Cypher | [19] | 2017–2024 |
Order | Territory | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice | As chief justice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Guam | Supreme Court of Guam | Benjamin Cruz | [2] | 1997–2001 | 1999–2001 |
2 | Puerto Rico | Supreme Court of Puerto Rico | Maite Oronoz Rodríguez | [20] | 2014–2016 | 2016–present |