Westchester civil rights groups concerned following Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing

Some in Westchester are saying their livelihoods are at stake following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

News 12 Staff

Sep 20, 2020, 10:08 PM

Updated 1,483 days ago

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Some in Westchester are saying their livelihoods are at stake following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Now that her seat on the Supreme Court is open, there's the possibility of a conservative judge filling it in the coming weeks.
Lisa Denig, the former president of the Westchester Women's Bar Association, says this poses a risk to advancements on things Ginsburg pushed for, like equal pay.
"Always worried that advances will be undone, and we see that in the pendulum swing of the politics," Denig says.
She says that especially now, her mission is to follow Ginsburg's lead, especially in her early career at the American Civil Liberties Union.
"And we have women in our organization that do that all the time. They are constantly taking up civil rights cases, not just for women, but for all minorities. All oppressed people," Denig says.
Women, however, are not the only demographic that's voiced concern since Ginsburg's passing. Many in the LGBTQ community say they're also worried if a conservative judge fills that seat in the coming weeks.
"I'm certain that an attempt will be made to roll back some of the fundamental rights that we've fought so hard for, like marriage equality," says Judy Troilo, the executive director of The LOFT: LGBT Community Services Center.
Troilo says she's working to prevent such a rollback the only way she knows how.
"The best thing we can do is to stand up together and do our part to make sure that doesn't happen. So, I encourage everyone to vote," Troilo says.
But, of course, it remains to be seen whether Ginsburg's vacancy on the bench will be filled before Election Day even arrives.