Amy Coney Barrett, ‘Sexual Preference,’ And The Rewriting Of A Dictionary
During her interaction with California Senator Diane Feinstein on Tuesday, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett used the forbidden term “sexual preference” with reference to LGBT sexuality. Not only did this cause an instant Internet firestorm, but it apparently led to an instant adjustment in a major online dictionary. The term is now officially “offensive” when used in the sense of “orientation.” To give the background, Feinstein asked Barrett if she would “vote to roll back hard-fought freedoms and protections for the LGBT community.” Barrett replied, “I have no agenda. I do want to be clear that I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.” That was a crystal-clear answer. She would not discriminate against the LGBT community based on sexual preference. That was the legal question at hand. But that was not got the attention of other senators, including Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono. She argued that “sex...