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 October 2,2024 [update] , there are 11 openly LGBT state supreme court justices, serving in 9 states.
Order | State | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice | As chief justice | Mandatory retirement |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Colorado Supreme Court | Monica Márquez | [3] | 2010–present | 2024–present | 2041 |
2 | ![]() | Supreme Court of Hawaii | Sabrina McKenna | [4] | 2011–present | – | 2027 |
3 | ![]() | Connecticut Supreme Court | Andrew J. McDonald | [5] | 2013–present | 2024–present | 2036 |
4 | ![]() | Washington Supreme Court | Mary Yu | [6] | 2014–present | – | 2032 |
5 | ![]() | Supreme Court of Nevada | Lidia S. Stiglich | [7] | 2016–present | 2023–2024 | 2024 |
6 | ![]() | New Mexico Supreme Court | C. Shannon Bacon | [8] | 2019–present | 2022–2024 | 2026 |
7 | ![]() | Washington Supreme Court | Helen Whitener | [9] | 2020–present | – | 2039 |
8 | ![]() | Supreme Court of California | Martin Jenkins | [10] | 2020–present | – | 2034 |
9 | ![]() | New York State Court of Appeals | Anthony Cannataro | [11] | 2021–present | 2022–2023 | 2035 |
10 | ![]() | Supreme Court of California | Kelli Evans | [12] | 2023–present | – | 2026 |
11 | ![]() | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | Gabrielle Wolohojian | [13] | 2024–present | – | 2030 |
Order | State | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Oregon Supreme Court | Rives Kistler | [1] | 2003–2018 |
2 | ![]() | Oregon Supreme Court | Virginia Linder | [14] | 2007–2016 |
3 | ![]() | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | Barbara Lenk | [15] | 2011–2020 |
4 | ![]() | New York State Court of Appeals | Paul Feinman | [16] | 2017–2021 |
5 | ![]() | Vermont Supreme Court | Beth Robinson | [17] | 2011–2021 |
6 | ![]() | Oregon Supreme Court | Lynn Nakamoto | [18] | 2016–2021 |
7 | ![]() | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | Elspeth B. Cypher | [19] | 2017–2024 |
8 | ![]() | Minnesota Supreme Court | Margaret Chutich | [20] | 2016–2024 |
Order | Territory | Court | Justice | Ref | Service as justice | As chief justice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Supreme Court of Guam | Benjamin Cruz | [2] | 1997–2001 | 1999–2001 |
2 | ![]() | Supreme Court of Puerto Rico | Maite Oronoz Rodríguez | [21] | 2014–2016 | 2016–present |