This firebrand of American jurisprudence and politics was an historical piece of our modern-day civil rights foundation. Certainly for women, but also for racial justice, and rights of sexual minorities. Her appointment as the second woman to the highest court in the land was only one of many lifetime achievements.
As founder of the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU in 1973, she blazed a trail of leadership establishing many women’s rights even prior to her work as a Supreme Court Justice.
On Friday, September 18, 2020 Ruth Bader Ginsburg lost her battle with metastatic pancreas cancer. This supporter of women’s rights voted in favor of cases providing access to abortion rights, same-sex marriage, voting rights, health care, affirmative action, and immigration. All of these important social issues have been under attack, more so in the last several years, and Justice Ginsburg continued to fight for them as long as she could.
During her work as a lawyer, Ginsburg’s raison d’etre was to make people take notice of the 14th Amendment, showing that women should be regarded as equals. Her work continued to support women in the workplace, at home, in business, and in politics, as equals with access to the resources and power that so many men take for granted. Along with many pioneers during the sexual revolution of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Ginsberg fought for space and a voice in a system that continues to treat women, people of color, transgender folks, and so many others as less than. Her life work wasn’t just about “women’s issues” but about humanizing and supporting those who have not had equal access to the U.S. political and criminal justice systems.
The Center for Positive Sexuality celebrates the life of this incredible icon. Although small in stature, Ginsburg was a notorious force to be reckoned with. She will be missed as her legacy lives on. It is the duty of all those who believe in equality, diversity, and justice to continue her work in any way we can.
Image Credit: This image was originally posted to Flickr by John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com at https://flickr.com/photos/36277035@N06/45800308535