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Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton recreated her famous Playboy shoot for her husband for his birthday. The 75-year-old country music legend’s spouse Carl Dean was a huge fan of her 1978 Playboy cover and so to do something extra special for his big day she slipped her eye-popping curves into the famous white tie and strapless black bunny outfit. Sharing a video of herself dressed in the skin-tight outfit on her social media accounts, Dolly said: “You’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this. Well, it’s for my husband’s birthday. Remember some time back I said I was gonna pose on Playboy magazine when I’m 75? Well, I’m 75 and they don’t have a magazine anymore, but my husband always loved the original cover of Playboy. “I was trying to think of something to do to make him happy. He still thinks I’m a hot chick after 57 years and I’m not gonna try to talk him out of that.” The ‘Jolene’ singer then held up a framed print with the old Playboy cover besides a new photo of herself posing in the bodysuit, and admitted she thinks she looks hotter now than she did back in the 70s. She added: “In the first one, I was kind of a butter-ball. Well I’m string cheese now! But he’ll probably think I’m cream cheese, I hope!” In the vid, Dolly also showed her millions of followers a clip of her presenting the new Playboy image to her man Carl – who she has been married to since 1966. The blonde bombshell signed off her video by making an offer to Playboy to pose for the brand – created by late media mogul Hugh Hefner – once again. She said: “You think Playboy ought to pay me for at least a photoshoot? I do.” Dolly Parton’s Husband previously on Towleroad View the full article

At the nexus of the latest Catholic discomfort and hypocritical sex scandal: Msgr. Jeffrey BurrillA Catholic sex scandal/ controversy unfolded Tuesday as a top U.S. Catholic Church official, recognized as “effectively the highest-ranking American cleric who is not a bishop,” resigned after being outed as gay without his consent. Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill left his post as the general secretary of the U.S. bishops’ conference Tuesday after church officials were made aware of an investigation conducted by Catholic news outlet The Pillar. The outlet used anonymous “app data signals correlated to Burrill’s mobile device” from the dating app Grindr to place Burrill at gay bars and personal residences in multiple cities, with some of those visits occurring while Burrill traveled on assignment for the U.S. bishops’ conference. …despite no apparent links between Burrill and minors. Multiple Catholic Church clergy members accused of sexual abuse of minors used Grindr to connect with underage boys and coerce them into illegal sexual activities. The Pillar used similar data, which it said was “commercially available,” to unearth Burrill’s use of Grindr on a near-daily basis between 2018 and 2020. According to The Pillar, some of those uses occurred in Burrill’s office and home, both owned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in addition to USCCB events in other cities. News of Burrill’s resignation was first announced in a memo from archbishop José Gomez, citing The Pillar’s forthcoming report as the catalyst. “On Monday, we became aware of impending media reports alleging possible improper behavior by Msgr. Burrill. What was shared with us did not include allegations of misconduct with minors,” Gomez wrote. “However, in order to avoid becoming a distraction to the operations and ongoing work of the Conference, Monsignor has resigned effective immediately. The Conference takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and will pursue all appropriate steps to address them.” “The alleged activities listed in that unattributed blog post are infeasible from a technical standpoint and incredibly unlikely to occur. There is absolutely no evidence supporting the allegations of improper data collection and usage related to the Grindr app as purported,” she said. The Pillar stated that it authenticated the app data used in its analysis with an unnamed independent data consulting firm. Speaking to Vice, Sen. Ron Wyden pointed to Burrill’s case as an example of the threat of anonymous app data collection poses when it falls into the hands of those wanting to unmask users. “Experts have warned for years that data collected by advertising companies from Americans’ phones could be used to track them and reveal the most personal details of their lives. Unfortunately, they were right,” Wyden said. Burrill made news last month as well when he…approved a measure preventing politicians that voted in favor of abortion rights from receiving communion…President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both staunch Catholics, being among the politicians excluded from the sacrament “Data brokers and advertising companies have lied to the public, assuring them that the information they collected was anonymous. As this awful episode demonstrates, those claims were bogus – individuals can be tracked and identified,” he added. Is it a sex scandal? The Grindr spokeswoman also decried The Pillar’s article as “homophobic.” The story refers to same-sex sexual encounters as “serial sexual misconduct” despite all encounters described in it that allegedly involved Burrill were between consenting adults. Burrill could face “canonical discipline” as a result of the allegations and his former stature in the USCCB. No details of any punishment facing Burrill has been released by the USCCB or the Vatican. Issue is not just the Catholic gay one, but broader. Burrill made news last month as well when he, along with the USCCB, approved a measure preventing politicians that voted in favor of abortion rights from receiving communion. The ruling gained notoriety due to President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both staunch Catholics, being among the politicians excluded from the sacrament under the measure. A great interactive illustration of cell data and how it works, is accessible and available here. Catholic Sex Scandal: Previously on Towleroad Top Catholic Who Led Church Response to Underage Sex Scandal Resigns On News He Was Tracked At Gay Bars Using Grindr Data Brian Bell July 21, 2021 Read More All 9 Justices Said Tax-Funded Catholic Social Services Can Refuse LGBTQ Foster Couples? How Bad Is it? Kind of, But Complicated Lisa Keen June 21, 2021 Read More Nine ‘Thumbs Up’ From Supreme Court Says Catholic Agency Can Turn Away Same-Sex Foster Parents, Cite 1st Amendment Lisa Keen June 17, 2021 Read More German Catholic Priests Bless LGBTQ Unions in Face of Vatican Ban; ‘We’re going to have the whole diversity of love’ Brian Bell May 10, 2021 Read More Michigan Pastor Upset He Was Fired After Notifying Church That a ‘Sodomite’ Staffer Was Offering the Gay Son of Parishioners ‘Advice on How to Be a Sexually Active Homosexual’ Andy Towle November 22, 2020 Read More Pope Francis Calls for Civil Unions for Gay Couples Andy Towle October 21, 2020 Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A dress worn by Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ has finally been located. The legendary blue and white garment worn by the actress’ character Dorothy in the iconic 1939 film vanished just a year after it was gifted to the Catholic University of America (CUA) in 1972 but it was recently found by Matt Ripa, a lecturer at the university. He shared in a Catholic University press release: “I had looked in our archives, storage closets etc. to no avail. I assumed it was a tall tale. “I was curious what was inside and opened the trash bag and inside was a shoebox and inside the shoebox was the dress. I couldn’t believe it. “Needless to say, I have found my interesting things in the Hartke during my time at CUA, but I think this one takes the cake.” The university has confirmed that the dress will now be properly preserved. They added: “It can now be preserved in proper storage in a temperature – and humidity – controlled environment so that hopefully, for many more years, it can be a source of ‘hope, strength and courage’ for Catholic University students.” The university also wrote on Instagram: “In 1973, Catholic University’s @cuatower newspaper wrote about a gift to Catholic University meant to be a source of “hope, strength, and courage” to students. The gift was a dress that is believed to have been worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz. “It was given to Rev. Gilbert Hartke, illustrious head of the drama programme, by actress Mercedes McCambridge, who served as artist-in-residence at CatholicU in 1972. “For many years, it was rumoured that the dress was still located in Hartke, the building named after the priest, but no one knew exactly where. While preparing for some renovations last month, Matt Ripa, M.F.A. 2008, lecturer and operations coordinator for the @cua_drama in @cuamusicdramaart, rediscovered Dorothy’s Dress.” More bits on the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress Sometimes, though, dreams really do come true. On June 7, Ripa was cleaning out a building ahead of renovations when he found a mysterious trash bag tucked on top of the faculty mail slots. — Smithsonian This is not the first time renovations at the University have uncovered interesting and valuable artifacts. In 2010, Bishop David M. O’Connell, then-president of the University, found a Rembrandt etching in a restroom closet in his residence.– Catholic University “We see The Wizard of Oz through our modern eyes as a classic and presume that items like Dorothy’s dress and shoes and perhaps Glinda’s ballgown are in preservation.” —Nerdist There’s no place like Catholic University when a long-lost Hollywood artifact is discovered. — New York Post Talking to Catholic News Service July 7 alongside the famed dress—now safely stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment—Ripa said the finding is a reminder that “you are in a special club and Father Hartke was the coolest.” —Catholic New York Judy Garland Wizard of Oz Dress previously on Towleroad The Lil Nas X Nike Case To ‘Litigate’ The Satan Shoe Affair Is Promo for New Kanye-Produced Single ‘Industry Baby’ This Week July 20, 2021 Read More Grand Jury Indicts Sheriff’s Deputy in Police Shooting of Unarmed Virginia Man Isiah Brown; Faces Up To 5 Years in Prison July 20, 2021 Read More India Covid News: Delta Overwhelms Health System, Pandemic ‘Excess Deaths’ at Unbelievable 4.9 Million And Counting July 20, 2021 Read More NHL Pick Luke Prokop Comes Out as Gay Weeks Before Training Camp; On Track to Become First Out Active Player in National Hockey League History July 19, 2021 Read More Supreme Court Term Limits: Good Solution to Distortions of Lifetime Appointments, But Hard to See A Constitutional Amendment July 18, 2021 Read More When A Trans Haven Got Violent Threats, The Residents of ‘Tenacious Unicorn Ranch,’ Felt The Police Could Not Be Trusted to Help. Then What? July 16, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Spills Tea All Over the Pink Table July 16, 2021 Read More Supreme Court LGBTQ: This Season’s Final Report: Minor Victories, Could-Have-Been-Worse Losses, Trepidation About Future July 16, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Lil Nas X Nike ShowdownHabitual pot-stirrer Lil Nas X is going to jail. Well, sort of.The celebrated rapper lampooned his Lil Nas X Nike Satan Shoes fiasco from earlier this year in a skit released to his YouTube channel Monday promoting his next single, the Take a Day Trip and Kanye West-produced “Industry Baby.” The video plants Lil Nas X in a courtroom playing off of the lawsuit Nike filed in response to Lil Nas X and MSCHF’s collaboration on a limited run of unlicensed Nike Air Max 97s dubbed “Satan Shoes.” But, like pretty much everything involving him recently, the “litigation” quickly diverts focus away from the shoes and to Lil Nas X’s sexuality. The proudly gay artist got a chance to stretch his acting legs a bit, portraying multiple characters, including the judge, both attorneys, a juror and, of course, himself. The multiplicity makes for some hilarious situations, capped by prosecutor Lil Nas X asking defendant Lil Nas X the ultimate question: “Do your mama know your gay?” His affirmative response lands him a five-year prison sentence in Montero state prison, a clear reference to his number-one hit and forthcoming album, before teasing the release of “Industry Baby” and the song’s subsequent video on July 23. Lil Nas X also launched a website, freelilnasx.com, as a promotional tool and has been playing off of his “prison sentence” on social media, complete with a mock prison ID. Of course, the court case isn’t real as Nike and MSCHF settled out of court over Nike’s assertion the “Satan Shoes” infringed on Nike trademarks in April. Lil Nas X provided even more of a tease for the new music video after the skit’s release. On Twitter, the rapper preemptively stated the “Industry Baby” video “is not for your kids!” We’ll all just have to wait to see how not for your kids “Industry Baby” is when it releases on Friday. Until then, have a laugh alongside Lil Nas X and check out the courtroom tease below. Lil Nas X Nike: Previously on Towleroad The Lil Nas X Nike Case To ‘Litigate’ The Satan Shoe Affair Is Promo for New Kanye-Produced Single ‘Industry Baby’ This Week Brian Bell July 20, 2021 Read More The Lil Nas X Gay Coronation Covers NY Times Magazine; Crowned With ‘Elaborately braided Black Boy Joy’; Welcome Generation Z Brian Bell July 9, 2021 Read More Visage, Shears, Jessie J, Coldplay, Todrick Hall’s ‘D This Big’; Troye Sivan, Divine Throwback, Biden Pride and Lil Nas X is ‘Smalltown Boy’: Gay Music Watch Part 3 Michael Goff July 5, 2021 Read More BET Praises Lil Nas X’s First Gay Kiss At BET Awards. Rapper Flames Critics, Celebrates 2 Years Out; ‘I Love Who I Am and Whatever I Decide To Do’ Brian Bell July 1, 2021 Read More ‘I Will Never Trust Pants Again;’ Lil Nas X Humorously Details ‘SNL’ Wardrobe Malfunction Brian Bell May 25, 2021 Read More Lil Nas X Gay Expectations: Disdainful of ‘sense of responsibility’. It’s not my job to be a good role model Towleroad May 11, 2021 Read More View the full article

Victim of a police shooting in which the office says he mistook Isiah Brown’s phone for a gunSpotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy David Turbyfill has been indicted by a grand jury in Virginia for the April police shooting of unarmed Black gay man Isiah Brown. Turbyfill faces one charge of felony reckless handling of a firearm related to the April 21 incident where he, according to Brown family attorney David Haynes, shot Brown ten times after mistaking a cordless phone held by Brown for a gun. According to special prosecutor LaBravia Jenkins, Turbyfill’s reckless handling of a firearm charge, which is normally a misdemeanor, is being bumped up to a felony due to the level of injuries Brown suffered. According to Haynes, eight bullets were found in Brown’s body, causing “serious internal injuries” including “serious injuries to his bowels.” Haynes also stated that Brown suffered a broken leg and underwent at least four surgeries before being released from the hospital in May. Brown is continuing his recovery at home. County Sheriff Roger Harris drew criticism early in the investigation after telling a group of protestors gathered outside the Sheriff’s Office that Turbyfill “actually saved this gentleman’s life,” referring to Turbyfill performing CPR on Brown after shooting him. If found guilty, Turbyfill faces up to five years in prison. “Isiah Brown’s life was shattered and changed forever when he crossed paths with David Turbyfill,” Haynes said in a statement to The Hill. “While this indictment doesn’t take Mr. Brown’s physical pain away, it does signify a measure of justice.” The April 21 shooting came after Turbyfill responded to a 911 call made by Brown in the early morning hours. Brown argued with his brother about retrieving his car, which had broken down at a local gas station earlier that night, and commented about killing his brother. He denied having a firearm multiple times after initially saying he had one. Brown exited his mother’s home while still on the phone with 911 dispatch when Turbyfill, who had given Brown a ride home after his car broke down earlier that night, encountered him on the road near the home. Bodycam and 911 dispatch audio released by the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office show Turbyfill responding to the incident as if he believed Brown had a gun. According to Haynes, Turbyfill mistook the phone Brown was using to speak with 911 dispatch for a gun that Brown was holding to his head and fired multiple shots after telling Brown to stop walking toward him. Both Virginia State Police and the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Brown was unarmed after the shooting. Turbyfill was placed on administrative leave as the police shooting was investigated. In response to the indictment, Haynes once again called for the release of “all audio communication between the deputy and dispatch, all video from the scene as well as Turbyfill’s employment records and personnel file.” Haynes and the Brown family have made similar pleas in the months since Brown’s shooting, calling for complete transparency from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and filing Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain said records. Haynes also called for the “immediate termination” of Turbyfill, who had only been employed with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office for a few months prior to the police shooting. Police shooting: Turbyfill’s reckless handling of a firearm charge, which is normally a misdemeanor, is being bumped up to a felony due to the level of injuries Brown suffered. According to Haynes, eight bullets were found in Brown’s body, causing “serious internal injuries” When asked for comment by the Free Lance-Star, Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Maj. Troy Skebo said the Sheriff’s Office had no further comments on the matter. Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger Harris drew criticism early in the investigation after telling a group of protestors gathered outside the Sheriff’s Office that Turbyfill “actually saved this gentleman’s life,” referring to Turbyfill performing CPR on Brown after shooting him. “I believe that the sheriff was reporting to the fact that he performed CPR, as of course he is required and trained to do. But it is incredible that he would make that statement that he saved his life by rendering CPR after he’s the one that shot him 10 times,” Haynes said in April. Police Shooting: Previously on Towleroad Grand Jury Indicts Sheriff’s Deputy in Police Shooting of Unarmed Virginia Man Isiah Brown; Faces Up To 5 Years in Prison Brian Bell July 20, 2021 Read More Unarmed Isiah Brown Hit By 10 Bullets in Police Shooting A Month Ago. As He Leaves Hospital, Lawyer Calls Again For BodyCam, 911 Tapes Brian Bell May 27, 2021 Read More Unarmed Black Gay Virginia Shooting Victim Isiah Brown Still Fighting ‘Serious Internal Injuries;’ Family Hopes Deputy will be Charged Brian Bell May 11, 2021 Read More Update: Isiah Brown’s sister hopes family ‘can get answers’ on police shooting of her brother; ‘We need to figure out why this keeps happening’ Brian Bell April 30, 2021 Read More Unarmed gay Black man Isiah Brown shot multiple times by police; shooting was ‘completely avoidable,’ bodycam footage released Brian Bell April 26, 2021 Read More Fatal Shooting of Gay Man Was San Diego Police Officer’s 3rd Since 2013 – VIDEO John Wright January 5, 2016 Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ankur Banerjee and Neha Arora (Reuters) -India’s excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic could be as high as 4.9 million, a new study shows, providing further evidence that millions more may have died from coronavirus than the official tally. The report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, co-authored by India’s former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, included deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic through June this year. India’s official tally of more than 414,000 deaths is the world’s third highest after the United States and Brazil, but the study adds to growing calls from experts for a rigorous nationwide audit of fatalities. A devastating rise in infections in April and May, driven largely by the more infectious and dangerous Delta variant, overwhelmed the healthcare system and killed at least 170,000 people in May alone, official data show. “What is tragically clear is that too many people, in the millions rather than hundreds of thousands, may have died,” the report said, estimating between 3.4 million and 4.9 million excess deaths during the pandemic. But it did not ascribe all excess deaths to the pandemic. “We focus on all-cause mortality, and estimate excess mortality relative to a pre-pandemic baseline, adjusting for seasonality,” the authors said https://bit.ly/2Usm8cE. The health ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. Some experts have said excess deaths are the best way to measure the real toll from COVID-19. “For every country, it’s important to capture excess mortality – the only way to prepare the health system for future shocks and to prevent further deaths,” Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization, said on Twitter https://bit.ly/3kCGevC. The New York Times said the most conservative estimate of deaths in India was 600,000 and the worst-case scenario several times that. The government has dismissed those figures. Health experts blame the undercounting largely on scarce resources in the vast hinterland home to two-thirds of India’s population of nearly 1.4 billion, and also many deaths at home without being tested. India has reported a decline in daily infections from a May peak, with Tuesday’s 30,093 new cases making up its lowest daily count in four months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has also been criticised for a messy vaccination campaign that many say helped worsen the second wave of infections. Just over 8% of eligible adult Indians have received both vaccine doses. In July, the government administered fewer than 4 million daily doses on average, down from a record 9.2 million on June 21, when Modi flagged off a free campaign to inoculate all 950 million adults. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru and Neha Arora in New Delhi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Giles Elgood) India Covid News previously on Towleroad NHL Pick Luke Prokop Comes Out as Gay Weeks Before Training Camp; On Track to Become First Out Active Player in National Hockey League History July 19, 2021 Read More Supreme Court Term Limits: Good Solution to Distortions of Lifetime Appointments, But Hard to See A Constitutional Amendment July 18, 2021 Read More When A Trans Haven Got Violent Threats, The Residents of ‘Tenacious Unicorn Ranch,’ Felt The Police Could Not Be Trusted to Help. Then What? July 16, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Spills Tea All Over the Pink Table July 16, 2021 Read More Supreme Court LGBTQ: This Season’s Final Report: Minor Victories, Could-Have-Been-Worse Losses, Trepidation About Future July 16, 2021 Read More 11 Must-See Miami Spots for Gay Travelers with Children July 14, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article

Luke ProkopPro hockey player Luke Prokop pushed the National Hockey League closer to LGBTQ history on Monday when he came out as gay weeks before entering his first NHL training camp with the Nashville Predators. “While the past year and a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance to find my true self. I am no longer scared to hide who I am,” Prokop said in a statement released through Twitter. “Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay.” The 19-year-old prospect was drafted 73rd overall by the Predators in the 2020 NHL draft after spending parts of four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen of Canada’s Western Hockey League. The Edmonton native was the 7th overall pick by the Hitmen in the 2017 WHL draft at the age of 15. Prokop would be the first out gay active player in NHL history if he makes the Predators roster, which he has a good chance of doing. Prokop thanked his friends, family and agents, whom he was already out to, for their “love and support” and quickly found similar sentiments from his new NHL family. The Nashville Predators organization celebrated Prokop for his “courage” and pledged to “support [Prokop] unequivocally in the days, weeks and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect.” Fellow Predators defenseman Roman Josi echoed the organization’s message. “We’re obviously very proud of [Prokop] for taking that step, ” Josi said. “Our message as a team [is that] we’re obviously very supportive of him.” Bettman stated the NHL would offer similar support to Prokop. “We pledge to do everything possible to ensure that Luke’s experience is a welcoming and affirmative one and continue to work to ensure that any current or future NHL player contemplating following in his trailblazing footsteps knows our league is ready to provide full support,” Bettman said. With the first step out of the closet complete, Prokop appears ready to reach his goals, both professional and personal. “This is just the beginning of my journey and I am excited to see where it takes me, both in hockey and in life.” Prokop will get the hockey side of things rolling when he joins the Predators for training camp in September ahead of the 2021-22 season. NHL: Previously on Towelroad NHL Pick Luke Prokop Comes Out as Gay Weeks Before Training Camp; On Track to Become First Out Active Player in National Hockey League History Brian Bell July 19, 2021 Read More Pro Hockey Player Jon Lee-Olson Comes Out as Gay During TV Interview Towleroad October 8, 2019 Read More NHL Star Shows Off His Problematic Hockey Butt (Which is Not a Problem for Anyone Else): WATCH Towleroad October 5, 2019 Read More Protesters Hijacked Chick-fil-A’s Zamboni at Cincinnati’s Hockey Game to Stage a Brilliant Sneak Attack on Homophobia Andy Towle April 15, 2019 Read More NHL Determines Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly Did Not Use Anti-Gay Slur: WATCH Andy Towle March 13, 2019 Read More Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly Investigated for Allegedly Calling Ref ‘F—ing F—ot’ Andy Towle March 12, 2019 Read More Image via Twitter View the full article

Lack of Supreme Court Term Limits, lifetime tenure, has pushed the average age of judicial nominees down as presidents appoint younger justices in hopes they will serve for many decades. Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Pressure on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to step down will likely grow now that the court’s session has ended. Breyer, 82, joined the court in 1994. His retirement would allow President Joe Biden to nominate his successor and give Democrats another liberal justice, if confirmed. Supreme Court justices in the U.S. enjoy life tenure. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, justices cannot be forced out of office against their will, barring impeachment. This provision, which followed the precedent of Great Britain, is meant to ensure judicial independence, allowing judges to render decisions based on their best understandings of the law – free from political, social and electoral influences. Our extensive research on the Supreme Court shows life tenure, while well-intended, has had unforeseen consequences. It skews how the confirmation process and judicial decision-making work, and causes justices who want to retire to behave like political operatives. Problems with lifetime tenure Life tenure has motivated presidents to pick younger and younger justices. In the post-World War II era, presidents generally forgo appointing jurists in their 60s, who would bring a great deal of experience, and instead nominate judges in their 40s or 50s, who could serve on the court for many decades. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images And they do. Justice Clarence Thomas was appointed by President George H.W. Bush at age 43 in 1991 and famously said he would serve for 43 years. There’s another 13 years until his promise is met. The court’s newest member, Donald Trump’s nominee Amy Coney Barrett, was 48 when she took her seat in late 2020 after the death of 87-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg, a Clinton appointee who joined the court at age 60 in 1993, refused to retire. When liberals pressed her to step down during the presidency of Democrat Barack Obama to ensure a like-minded replacement, she protested: “So tell me who the president could have nominated this spring that you would rather see on the court than me?” Partisanship problems Justices change during their decades on the bench, research shows. Justices who at the time of their confirmation espoused views that reflected the general public, the Senate and the president who appointed them tend to move away from those preferences over time. They become more ideological, focused on putting their own policy preferences into law. For example, Ginsburg grew more liberal over time, while Thomas has become more conservative. Other Americans’ political preferences tend to be stable throughout their lives. The consequence is that Supreme Court justices may no longer reflect the America they preside over. This can be problematic. If the court were to routinely stray too far from the public’s values, the public could reject its dictates. The Supreme Court relies on public confidence to maintain its legitimacy. Life tenure has also turned staffing the Supreme Court into an increasingly partisan process, politicizing one of the nation’s most powerful institutions. In the 1980s and 1990s, Supreme Court nominees could generally expect large, bipartisan support in the Senate. Today, judicial confirmation votes are almost strictly down party lines. Public support for judicial nominees also shows large differences between Democrats and Republicans. Life tenure can turn supposedly independent judges into political players who attempt to time their departures to secure their preferred successors, as Justice Anthony Kennedy did in 2018. Trump appointed Brett Kavanaugh, one of Kennedy’s former clerks, to replace him. Justice Anthony Kennedy receiving the 2019 Liberty Medal from Justice Neil Gorsuch. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images The proposed solution Many Supreme Court experts have coalesced around a solution to these problems: staggered, 18-year terms with a vacancy automatically occurring every two years in nonelection years. This system would promote judicial legitimacy, they argue, by taking departure decisions out of the justices’ hands. It would help insulate the court from becoming a campaign issue because vacancies would no longer arise during election years. And it would preserve judicial independence by shielding the court from political calls to fundamentally alter the institution. Partisanship would still tinge the selection and confirmation of judges by the president and Senate, however, and ideological extremists could still reach the Supreme Court. But they would be limited to 18-year terms. The U.S. Supreme Court is one of the world’s few high courts to have life tenure. Almost all democratic nations have either fixed terms or mandatory retirement ages for their top judges. Foreign courts have encountered few problems with term limits. Even England – the country on which the U.S. model is based – no longer grants its Supreme Court justices life tenure. They must now retire at 70. Similarly, although many U.S. states initially granted their supreme court judges life tenure, this changed during the Jacksonian era of the 1810s to 1840s when states sought to increase the accountability of the judicial branch. Today, only supreme court judges in Rhode Island have life tenure. All other states either have mandatory retirement ages or let voters choose when judges leave the bench through judicial elections. Back in 1894, the Supreme Court was older – not to mention whiter and all male. C.M. Bell/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Polling consistently shows a large bipartisan majority of Americans support ending life tenure. This likely reflects eroding public confidence as the court routinely issues decisions down partisan lines on the day’s most controversial issues. Although ideology has long influenced Supreme Court decisions, today’s court is unusual because all the conservative justices are Republicans and all the liberal justices are Democrats. In April 2021, President Biden formed a committee to examine reforming the Supreme Court, including term-limiting justices. To end the justices’ life tenure would likely mean a constitutional amendment requiring approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of U.S. states. Ultimately, Congress, the states and the public they represent will decide whether the country’s centuries-old lifetime tenure system still serves the needs of the American people. [The Conversation’s Politics + Society editors pick need-to-know stories. Sign up for Politics Weekly.] Paul M. Collins, Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Artemus Ward, Professor of Political Science, Northern Illinois University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Supreme Court Term Limits previously on Towleroad When A Trans Haven Got Violent Threats, The Residents of ‘Tenacious Unicorn Ranch,’ Felt The Police Could Not Be Trusted to Help. Then What? July 16, 2021 Read More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 6 Spills Tea All Over the Pink Table July 16, 2021 Read More Supreme Court LGBTQ: This Season’s Final Report: Minor Victories, Could-Have-Been-Worse Losses, Trepidation About Future July 16, 2021 Read More 11 Must-See Miami Spots for Gay Travelers with Children July 14, 2021 Read More Happy Bastille Day? C’est Compliqué. French Ambiguity Lets You Celebrate Storming The Bastille, National Unity, Or A New York Restauarant July 14, 2021 Read More Billy Porter Pose: Found Growth Playing Pray There’s ‘a whole generation of us who haven’t really been able to process what happened.’ July 14, 2021 Read More Load More View the full article