19/09/2020
I’m from Oklahoma, and my partner is in law school. She dragged me to the RBG documentary a couple years ago, a film I’m not scared to say I shed a few tears during.
I have also learned RBG had an important connection with Oklahoma in the case, Craig v. Boren, which established a higher level of scrutiny for laws that discriminate on the basis of s*x. This case took place in the 70s, at a time when discrimination against women was rampant. But rather than highlighting women’s rights, she strategically highlighted discrimination against men by challenging an Oklahoma statute that imposed a higher drinking age on men.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman nominated to the Supreme Court. Using extraordinary creativeness and tenacity, she stood before nine men in black robes to expand the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to encompass gender discrimination. She tirelessly advocated for what should have been given from the start: equality under the law regardless of s*x.
Her passing is heartbreaking to me and our country. Our country is a better and fairer place because of her extraordinary efforts. I hope that we honor her legacy by continuing to fight for equality under the law of all people regardless of s*x, race, gender, religion, or s*xual orientation. I especially challenge my fellow male colleagues and friends to reflect on how you can be a zealous advocate for all—an act that often involves more listening and less talking.
Until there are nine. RIP Ruth.