"When President Donald Trump appointed Darin D. Smith as interim U.S. attorney for Wyoming last August, the Justice Department framed the move as routine. But as Republicans now push to confirm Smith permanently, his long record, including his opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, has become the central fault line in a nomination fight that has significant ramifications for people living in the state."
"If confirmed, Smith would serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the same state where Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was murdered in 1998. The killing shocked the nation and helped galvanize the movement for modern federal hate crime laws. Smith previously chaired the Laramie County Republican Party. Smith's legislative history, public statements, and sworn testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee raise profound questions about whether he would enforce federal civil rights law equally for LGBTQ+ people in Wyoming."
"As a state legislator, Smith cosponsored bills that targeted LGBTQ+ visibility and expression. One proposal would have dramatically expanded Wyoming's obscenity laws, repealing exemptions that protect public and school librarians from prosecution and potentially criminalizing drag performances. The bill's language was so broad that even Republican lawmakers warned it could lead to sweeping book bans and prosecutions regarding routine library materials. The measure ultimately failed."
Darin D. Smith was appointed interim U.S. attorney for Wyoming and is now being considered for permanent confirmation. Smith has a record of opposing LGBTQ+ rights, including cosponsoring bills targeting LGBTQ+ visibility and supporting laws that require use of facilities based on sex assigned at birth. One proposed bill would have expanded obscenity laws, risking prosecution of librarians and criminalizing drag performances, though it failed. Concerns exist about whether Smith would enforce federal civil rights protections equally for LGBTQ+ people, particularly given Wyoming's history with the Matthew Shepard hate crime.
Read at Advocate.com
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