Melissa DuBose, a Black lesbian judge, makes Rhode Island history

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Melissa DuBose, who is Black and lesbian, to a federal judgeship in Rhode Island, making her the first woman of color and first out LGBTQ+ person to serve on the U.S. District Court in the state. The Senate approved DuBose by a vote of 51-47 late Tuesday, The Providence Journal reports. Rhode Island’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, had recommended her highly. “She’s proven to be an exceptional jurist with a stellar record,” Reed said on the Senate floor, adding, “She...