An anti-trans judicial nominee was forced to answer for his past statements on gender, sex, marriage, and disability in a contentious exchange during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. The president recently nominated Indiana attorney Justin Olson to serve as a federal judge in the Indiana Southern District Court. Olson is an ordained but inactive elder in the Presbyterian church and also works with the so-calledIndependent Council on Womens Sports (ICONS)to sue universities and the NCAA for their trans-inclusive sports policies. Related Texas unveils tip line to report & send pictures of suspected trans women using the restroom During the hearing, Olson resisted as Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) pressed him to share some of his personal beliefs.Kennedy asked Olson about a 2022 sermon in which he said, Transgenderism, homosexuality, fornication, and all sorts of sexual perversions are a form of hypocrisy that are caused by shame from the inside. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today After asking Olson to confirm if he did say those words, Olson was visibly anxious as he stumbled over his response.That, um, I dont recall the precise wording, but that sounds, um familiar, Olson said. He then claimed his words were for the edification of the people that I was preaching to. As a judge sitting here today, my obligation is to apply the rule of law.Kennedy shot back, My obligation is to try to understand you, cause this is a lifetime appointment. Do you believe that fornication is a form of sexual perversion? Olson explained that by fornication, he meant any sex act outside of marriage, but continued to resist sharing his personal beliefs and instead emphasized he was merely preaching the doctrine of his church. He also asked about a 2015 speech in which Olson discussed a passage in the Bible that says wives should be subservient to their husbands. Kennedy asked if Olson believed that. I believe every word of the Bible, he said. Earlier, Kennedy also asked him to explain a sermon in which he spoke about marriage not being intended for people with disabilities. Again stumbling over his words, he claimed he was explaining why certain people are called to singleness and not why people shouldnt get married if they want to. I was using that example as an illustration of why some dont get married, not as a kind of reason why someone shouldnt, he said. Sen. John Kennedy: "What do you mean by fornication?"Justin Olson: "Any sexual act outside of the bounds of marriage."Kennedy: "So you believe premarital sex is a sexual perversion?"Olson: "Senator, again, my personal views, as many have said before, I won't comment" pic.twitter.com/qt8dJaHi1D Forbes Breaking News (@ForbesTVNews) December 17, 2025In a social media post announcing Olsons nomination, the president touted Olsons fight against trans athletes, saying that, as a litigator, [Olson] has been fighting tirelessly to keep men out of womens sports.Olson is a lead lawyer in an anti-trans lawsuit financed by ICONS representing three former University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) women swimmers who sued UPenn, Harvard University, the Ivy League (an athletic conference of eight private universities, including UPenn and Harvard), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).The lawsuit alleges that the universities and NCAA violated Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based educational discrimination, by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on UPenns womens swim team during 2021 and 2022,Daily Journalreported, something which left the plaintiffs repeatedly emotionally traumatized. The suit seeks a total ban on trans female athletes citing opportunities lost and taken from trans women who allegedly displaced cis women unfairly.Olson is also an attorney in ICONS lawsuit against San Jose State University (SJSU) and the Mountain West Conference for allowing a trans volleyball player toparticipate in collegiate matches. The player who participated for three seasons without any issues over her participation didnt cause any unfair advantage or injuries, but the lawsuit claims her presence still stifled other female athletes free speech.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.