Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has made the state’s first appointment of a disabled transgender judge.
Andi Mudryk, 58, was appointed to fill a vacancy in Sacramento County Superior Court, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Alameda Superior Court Judge Victoria Kolakowski became the first openly transgender judge in California after his 2010 election, according to the Daily Mail.
I’m the elected one (the first one). Andi Mudryk is a great appointment and will be a wonderful judge. I’m glad to finally have a trans colleague on the bench in California. https://t.co/cvOJaiIGAv
— Vicky Kolakowski (@vkolakowski) March 25, 2022
“As governors and state legislatures across the country attack the trans community, we applaud Gov. Newsom’s continued commitment to increasing trans representation,” Tony Hoang, executive director of Equality California, said, according to ABC. “California continues to remind the rest of the country that LGBTQ+ voices are essential to achieve full equality.”
The state Bar Association also cheered the appointment.
“The values of diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to the State Bar’s mission, and I thank our Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation for their important work, and I applaud Gov. Newsom on his commitment to a diverse judiciary,” Leah Wilson, executive director of the State Bar of California, said in a statement.
Mudryk’s appointment comes three days after another Newsom appointee became the first Latina to be confirmed to the California Supreme Court. The state’s judiciary is among the nation’s most diverse, and has become more so under the governor. https://t.co/asYHqQtlyo
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) March 26, 2022
“Superior Court Judge Andi Mudryk’s appointment is a touchstone moment in California history that will lead to more opportunities for transgender people throughout the legal profession,” Wilson said.
The California Judges Association supported the appointment.
“The historic selection of the first openly transgender person to the bench represents a significant milestone reached in ensuring our judiciary reflects the diverse communities it serves,” said Rupert Byrdsong, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge and the association’s president.
“I’m humbled, honored and I’m thrilled,” Mudryk said Friday. “I’m grateful to Gov. Newsom for creating a vision of California for all.”
Mudryk said he understand multiple cultures because he is the parent of an adult black man and a descendant of Jewish Holocaust survivors.
Second transgender judge appointed to California court.
LGBTQIA2S+ groups praise Gavin Newsom for the appointment.
0.58% of US adults identify as transgender.#SundayMorning #California #lawsuits #facts https://t.co/oTBYufofrw pic.twitter.com/PAvcj3JGQ6— Beverly A. Pekala (@PekalaLaw) March 27, 2022
Mudryk was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, called brittle bone disease, and said he has suffered more than 100 fractures.
Mudryk spent nearly 11 years with Disability Rights California, where he was managing attorney, director of litigation and deputy director.
Mudryk had recently served as chief deputy director of the California Department of Rehabilitation after serving as its chief counsel.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
