National Center for Lesbian Rights

Imani Rupert-Gordon the new Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about her aspirations leading this important LGBTQ organization which is known for tackling the most pressing issues of race, gender and economic inequality facing our LGBTQ community. Founded in 1977 NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights for LGBTQ people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy and public education. NCLR is a non-profit public interest law firm that litigates precedent-setting cases at the trial and appellate court levels; advocates for equitable public policies affecting our LGBTQ community; provides free legal assistance to LGBTQ people and their legal advocates and conducts community education on LGBTQ issues. NCLR serves more than 5,000 LGBTQ people and their families throughout the United States each year including LGBTQ parents, seniors, immigrants, athletes and youth. Currently NCLR is suing the State of South Carolina over an anti-LGBTQ Curriculum law around sex education. They are also very proud that their Born Perfect campaign to end Conversion Therapy which had a huge victory in Virginia last week becoming the first Southern state to do so. Earlier this month, along with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Meyer Stephenson, NCLR won a landmark medical care lawsuit on behalf of a transgender employee. We talked to Imani about what she hopes to accomplish as the new Executive Director of NCLR and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.

Imani Rupert-Gordon holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. For over a decade Imani has worked to advance social justice efforts in higher education and local communities. Previously she served as the Executive Director of Affinity Community Services, the nation’s oldest social justice organization serving the needs of Black LGBTQ people with a particular focus on Black women. From December 2013 until January 2016 Imani was the Director of the Broadway Youth Center (BYC), part of Howard Brown Health in Chicago overseeing the expansion of services at BYC and improving relationships with the community and local government. Imani Rupert-Gordon stated, “I am humbled to build on the legacy of the NCLR leaders like Donna Hitchens and Kate Kendell who have been such fantastic stewards of this mission of this organization. I am proud to be a part of the fantastic work being led by leaders like Shannon Minter who is translating that mission into a groundbreaking legal, policy and public education agenda. We have the privilege and opportunity to fundamentally shift the direction of the LGBTQ movement to once again include more of us and to protect all of us.”

For More Info: nclrights.org

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