I'm (literally) a card-carrying member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. I just received an e-mail about a unified front against the Roberts nomination:

(excerpt)
HRC, THE TASK FORCE, NCLR AND PFLAG ANNOUNCE OPPOSITION TO ROBERTS NOMINATION


WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 — The Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays put out a united statement today to announce opposition to the nomination of John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court.


"Judge Roberts has such a narrow view of what the courts can and should do, it's a wonder he wants the job at all," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "Ultimately, this is about an individual’s right to privacy. From women's rights to religious freedom to civil rights, there is powerful evidence that Judge Roberts would rule against equality."


"For his entire adult life, John Roberts has been a disciple of and promoted a political and legal ideology that is antithetical to an America that embraces all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "He has denigrated the nature and scope of the constitutional rights to privacy, equal protection and due process as well as federal government's role in confronting injustice. I have no doubt he's an accomplished lawyer and an affable dinner companion, but that doesn't make him any less a mortal danger to equal rights for gay people, reproductive freedom and affirmation action."


"There is nothing in Roberts' history as a lawyer, policymaker or judge to indicate that he would be anything other than hostile to the claims of those seeking to preserve affirmative action, reproductive freedom and fundamental rights, or for those seeking to ensure that the emerging protections expressed in Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas become truly meaningful in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.


"The stakes for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans are too high," said Jody Huckaby, executive director of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. "We cannot sit back and allow a man with a demonstrated record of hostility towards privacy and minority rights to make decisions on our nation's highest court that will affect this nation for generations to come. After a thorough review of the selective documents released by the White House, PFLAG is convinced that nominee John Roberts should not be trusted to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Americans."

First, kudos to all four, including those HRC "queers in khakis," for taking a bold stand and doing it together. They haven't exactly been known for sharing their toys in the past. That reminds me: I wonder if Levi is leading the leather caucus again this year at Creating Change...?

This nomination is not just a threat to queer rights for decades to come; a Justice Roberts would set back civil rights, individual rights, women's rights and civil liberties for generations. The fact that these queer organizations would explicitly mention choice in their public statements opposing the nomination marks a monumental shift for the better for progressive interest groups.

We need to be allies with each other instead of falling into the trap of fighting against each other for an ever-shrinking piece of the pie.