Record Shows State Supreme Court Candidate Brian Hagedorn Can’t Be Trusted to Leave Anti-LGBTQ Agenda Behind if Elected

MADISON, Wis. — After the revelations he wrote a series of homophobic, anti-LGBTQ articles for a blog he maintained, state Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn is claiming that he would not act on his discriminatory beliefs if elected. One Wisconsin Now Research Director Joanna Beilman-Dulin pointed to actions Hagedorn took during his four-plus years as Scott Walker’s legal counsel, working to stymie rights for the LGBTQ community, as evidence his campaign season assurances are not to be believed.

“Brian Hagedorn put it in writing, he does not believe in equal rights for LGBTQ Wisconsinites,” said Beilman-Dulin. “Hagedorn took the next step and put his homophobia into action as a legal professional, working as Scott Walker’s lawyer to use the courts to undermine Wisconsin laws guaranteeing basic equality for LGBTQ individuals.”

Last week it was reported Hagedorn authored a series of virulently homophobic, anti-LGBTQ blog posts. Among the vile rants of the state supreme court candidate:

“Hagedorn twice wrote that a landmark gay rights ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law could lead to the legalization of bestiality, sex with animals, in America. ‘The idea that homosexual behavior is different than bestiality as a constitutional matter is unjustifiable,’ …”

Prior to his recent appointment to a judicial job by Scott Walker, Hagedorn worked as legal counsel for the former governor for over 4 years. During that time he took action in his official capacity to undermine equal rights for LGBTQ Wisconsinites.

When Scott Walker came into office in 2011, the governor’s office was defending the state’s Domestic Partner Registry in a lawsuit brought by Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-LGBT group. As Walker’s legal counsel Hagedorn took over the case after the Governor fired the attorney defending the state’s domestic partnership registry. In May 2011, Hagedorn petitioned the court for Walker to withdraw from the case, as they agreed with the plaintiffs’ legal analysis and conclusion that the domestic partnership registry violated the state constitution.

Beilman-Dulin noted that despite Hagedorn’s efforts to undermine the law in court, it was upheld as constitutional on every appeal and by the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.

She concluded, “Brian Hagedorn’s record shows that he can’t be trusted to carry out the most fundamental jobs as a judge, treating everyone equally before the law, because he doesn’t believe everyone is equal before the law.”