Woman becomes first US transgender trial judge
A 49-year-old California patent lawyer has been elected as America’s first openly transgender trial judge. Victoria Kolakowski beat prosecutor John Creighton 51 to 48%—a margin of nearly 10,000 votes—in the Nov. 2 election to fill the vacancy in California’s Superior Court. Kolakowski underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1991.
Gronstal vows to block gay marriage vote
The top Democrat in the state Senate has pledged he would make sure the Legislature didn’t refer a proposed constitutional amendment to voters that would ban gay marriage. Senate Majority Michael Gronstal said he’d stand by his promise to block any Senate debate on an amendment despite plans by Republicans to move such a measure through the House soon after the Legislature convenes Jan. 10. “I’m not going to write discrimination into the constitution,” Gronstal said.
November 2010: N+W briefs
