Head of Office of Violence Against Women (nominee)
— Filed amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court arguing against marriage equality
—Wrote multiple commentary pieces for Atlanta Journal Constiution advocating for passage of Georgia’s discriminatory marriage amendment. In one, she argued that the amendment was fine because it would not interfere with domestic partner benefits (even though she made it clear she disagreed with those too). In another, she tried to remove the role of judges in determining the constitutionality of such measures. (*See PDF links below)
— Was reprimanded by local a local Boy Scout troop after her organization (Southeastern Legal Foundation) sent a fundraising campaign around the idea that the Boy Scouts of America needed to protection against lawsuits seeking to open the organization up to LGBTQ people.
— Held concerning views on the need for protecting minority rights: “The question now is, at what point do we as a society wipe the slate clean and accept that we are equals with equal rights, equal treatment, and equal expectations, and special treatment shouldn’t be provided to anyone?”
— During her time as Executive Director, Goessling and her Southeastern Legal Foundation fought aggressively against marriage equality. In fact, the organization ran a petition supporting a so-called Federal Marriage Amendment at the top of its website: