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Puerto Rico governor nominates openly gay attorney to Supreme Court

Puerto Rico governor nominates openly gay attorney to Supreme Court

A lesbian attorney is poised to become the first openly gay person on Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court after being nominated earlier this week by the U.S. territory’s governor.

Maite Oronoz Rodriguez
Maite Oronoz Rodriguez

Maite Oronoz Rodriguez, who currently serves as legal director for city San Juan, was nominated to fill a vacancy on the court by Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla.

“I am conscious of the enormous responsibility that has come to me, Oronoz Rodriguez told El Nuevo Día.

Confirmation hearings are set to take place next week, with the Puerto Rico Senate expected to approve the historic nomination.

Puerto Rico has progressed on LGBT rights since García Padilla of the commonwealth’s Popular Democratic Party took office in 2013.

Since then, lawmakers have passed a law banning employment discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, and approved a separate bill that extends a domestic violence law to same-sex couples.

García Padilla signed both bills into law.

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