ABC’s Stephanopoulos to Sonia Sotomayor: Does Sexism Go Away Now That You’re On the Supreme Court?
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, co-host of Good Morning America and moderator of This Week, sat down with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for an interview that aired on Sunday's This Week.
The interview, which was more of a glowing profile of Ms. Sotomayor, touched on a variety of subjects ranging from her recent encounter with Hillary Clinton to whether or not the justice still experienced sexism on the bench. Stephanopoulos wondered “You also write in your book about some of the sexism you faced even as a prosecutor. Any as a Supreme Court justice or does it go away?”
Sotomayor insisted that “It hasn't happened in awhile where someone called me honey. But you know people did when I was on the federal bench below...And I'm sure that the marshall who called me honey thought it was a term of endearment. But I'm equally sure that he would not find a term of endearment or using for a male judge."
Earlier in the interview, the ABC host seemed fascinated that Sotomayor ran into Hillary Clinton at a Costco while Clinton was signing copies of her new book “Hard Choices.” Naturally, Stephanopoulos used the Clinton reference to discuss the possibility of a woman becoming president:
And on a Supreme Court dominated for generations by men, she's now one of three female justices. We talked about the difference a woman judge makes, justice makes. Do you think a woman president would make a big difference?
See relevant transcript below.
ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos
June 22, 2014
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You also write in your book about some of the sexism you faced even as a prosecutor. Any as a Supreme Court justice or does it go away?
SONIA SOTOMAYOR: It hasn't happened in awhile where someone called me honey. But you know people did when I was on the federal bench below.
STEPHANOPOULOS: On the federal bench?
SOTOMAYOR: Oh, yeah. And I'm sure that the marshall who called me honey thought it was a term of endearment. But I'm equally sure that he would not find a term of endearment or using for a male judge.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And on a Supreme Court dominated for generations by men, she's now one of three female justices. We talked about the difference a woman judge makes, justice makes. Do you think a woman president would make a big difference?
SOTOMAYOR: Oh, probably at least in some little girl's perceptions of herself. And that is important enough.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And you have seen that as a justice?
SOTOMAYOR: I’ve seen it as a justice. I can't tell you the letters I have gotten from children talking about the impression that having me on the court has made on them.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter.
