Supreme Court justice Bradley apologizes for anti-gay opinion pieces

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley on Monday apologized for anti-gay opinion pieces she wrote as a college student 24 years ago, saying she is embarrassed by the content and tone and that they do not reflect her worldview or current work as a judge.

The liberal group One Wisconsin Now revealed one column and two letters to the editor that Bradley wrote in February and November 1992 when she was a student at Marquette University. They were published in the Marquette Tribune, the student newspaper.

Bradley faces state Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April 5 election for a 10-year term on the state's highest court.

In her writings, Bradley describes homosexuals as "queers," compares them with drug addicts, saying they "essentially kill themselves and others through their own behavior." She describes newly elected president Bill Clinton as "queer-loving" and says his 1992 victory "proves that the majority of voters are either totally stupid or entirely evil."

She also describes homosexuality as "an abnormal sexual preference" and says those who support it are "dumb" and "degenerates who basically commit suicide through their behavior."

Bradley, who is 44 now and was 20 and 21 when the pieces in question were written, backed away from the comments Monday.

"I was writing as a very young student, upset about the outcome of that presidential election and I am frankly embarrassed at the content and tone of what I wrote those many years ago," Bradley said in a statement.

One column was written after Clinton's election, but two letters to the editor from Bradley speaking out against homosexuals and the spread of AIDS were written nine months earlier, in February 1992.

"To those offended by comments I made as a young college student, I apologize, and assure you that those comments are not reflective of my worldview," Bradley said. "These comments have nothing to do with who I am as a person or a jurist, and they have nothing to do with the issues facing the voters of this state."

Jenni Dye, research director for One Wisconsin Now, said Bradley can't be trusted to be an unbiased member of the Supreme Court given the number of cases that could come before it dealing with gay rights in housing, health care, family and employer law.

One Wisconsin Now director Scot Ross called on Bradley to resign, saying she was unfit to continue serving as a Supreme Court justice, calling her writings irresponsible, hateful and harmful.

Bradley's campaign manager Luke Martz rejected the call for her to resign, saying that was "absurd."

Ross also criticized Bradley for not disclosing, when applying for three judicial appointments with Gov. Scott Walker, that she had been a columnist for the Marquette student newspaper.

Walker's spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said neither the governor nor his office was aware of Bradley's writings any of the three times he appointed her. Walker put Bradley on the Supreme Court in October, after previously appointing her to both the circuit court in Milwaukee and the state appeals court.

"Justice Bradley appropriately made it clear today that a column written in college does not reflect her views as a Supreme Court Justice, a court of appeals judge, a circuit court judge or as an attorney," Walker said in a statement.

Bradley called the release of her college writings "a blatant mudslinging campaign to distract the people from the issues at hand. This election is about diametrically opposed judicial philosophies."

Bradley is generally supported by conservatives, while Kloppenburg has the backing of liberals. The election is officially nonpartisan.

Kloppenburg blasted Bradley over the writings.

"There is no statute of limitations on hate," Kloppenburg said. "Rebecca Bradley's comments are as abhorrent and disturbing today as they were in 1992 as people were dying in huge numbers from AIDS."

By Scott Bauer, AP. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Gayly - 3/7/2016 @ 2:25 p.m. CST