“You might say my entry in this contest was a response to all of that antigay rhetoric I’ve been subjected to. A way for me to stand up for other LGBT people in a humorous fashion.”
— First Place, Greg Fox
4 Reasons for Gays to be Grateful
by Greg Fox
After six months, more than 25 entries, five finalists and nearly 2,000 votes Lambda Legal is proud to announce Greg Fox as the winner of our “Life Without Fair Courts” cartoon contest. The contest, co-sponsored by Prism Comics and The Advocate, asked artists to illustrate what their life would look like without fair courts to help people understand how crucial the courts are to our democracy.
When Fox submitted his cartoon, “4 Reasons for Gays to Be Grateful,” he admitted that he never intended to be a political cartoonist. He started drawing at age 12 and was initially inspired by the superheroes he saw in comics. Everything changed once he became a full-time cartoonist and began hearing all of the antigay rhetoric on talk radio while he worked from home. Entering the contest was a way for him to stand up for other LGBT people in a humorous fashion.
Explaining the Supreme Court
by Ted Rall
The other two finalists had their own personal reasons for entering the contest. Second place winner Ted Rall, named “the most controversial cartoonist in America” by Cartoon.com, said that he was inspired to create his comic strip because, “instances of judicial unfairness and bias have made such a negative impact on our society that they demand outrage and ridicule.” Third place winner Matt Bors wanted to highlight the importance of an impartial judiciary because not having fair courts “could spell doom for much of the progress we’ve made in the last 50 years.”
Although only Fox won the grand prize, all three finalists are winners for their alarming reminder of what could happen if we do not remain vigilant in protecting fair and impartial courts.
Future Courtroom Landmarks
by Matt Bors
Lambda Legal knows first hand how important fair courts are in protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all people. Through our “Courting Justice” program, we continuously advocate for unbiased court nominees, defend fair judges from political attack and support the legitimate role of courts as an access to justice for all.
We congratulate Greg Fox and all the winners and hope the comics will make people laugh. But more importantly, we hope they deliver the message that fair courts are a crucial component of our democracy — and often the last hope for those who have been denied fundamental rights.