Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart to step down
by Matt Simonette, Windy City Times
2015-07-15

This article shared 3498 times since Wed Jul 15, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin M. Cathcart, on July 15, announced that he would step down from his position in April, 2016.

The news follows a string of legal victories for the LGBT communities, many of which have been compelled by the organization's legal work. "It has been a thrilling, exhausting and wonderful time," said Cathcart in a statement. "…I am proud—and humbled—to think of the progress we have all made. As a leader of the movement, Lambda Legal has helped win three historic Supreme Court cases that have changed the lives of LGBT people and the country: Romer v. Evans; Lawrence v. Texas; and the recent Supreme Court victory for marriage equality, Obergefell v. Hodges. And today, we have a legal docket of more than 100 cases."

James Bennett, who heads Lambda Legal's Midwest office, said Cathcart's departure was not entirely a surprise to organization staff. Cathcart had said that he would be leaving at some point within the organization's current five-year strategic planning cycle.

"The timing was still a surprise," Bennett added. "We found out in a staff call that morning. Honestly, I'm happy for him, though. He's leaving at an exciting time in our movement and our organization is incredibly strong. The time is right and he's led us well."

Bennett recalled that one of Cathcart's first initiatives was opening an office in Chicago; at that point Lambda Legal had only 21 staffers in two cities. "We were in a horrible financial position then."

The organization recently raised $1 million for a million-dollar matching grant from co-chair Karen Dixon and her partner, Nan Schaffer, that would ensure that the organization remains relevant even after it stops litigating cases about the legality of marriage equality.

"It is simply not possible to replace Kevin's depth of experience and unique role in this movement, but one true measure of successful leadership is whether or not the organization you leave behind is strong and ready for the future," Dixon said in a statement. "Kevin has built an incredible organization, with brilliant and dedicated attorneys and staff and a solid infrastructure. We will miss him dearly—but Lambda Legal won't stop fighting for justice and winning victories."

Bennett said Lambda Legal's energies and resources will likely be expended more frequently in parts of the Midwest and South in the years ahead, as the organization will have to litigate cases that will be ancillary to the marriage equality victory in the United States Supreme Court.

"Also, this week's decision from the EEOC [banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace] will be huge for us," he also noted. "It allows us to move forward to fight for more ENDA-style protections."

From a Lambda Legal news release:

( New York, July 15, 2015 ) — Kevin M. Cathcart, who has been the Executive Director of Lambda Legal since 1992, announced today that he will retire when his current contract ends at the end of April, 2016.

"We cannot begin to express the admiration we have for Kevin's extraordinary leadership and record of accomplishments," said Stephen Winters, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors. "Kevin guided and built this organization to become America's strongest, most effective legal advocacy organization in the LGBT civil rights movement, and the lives of countless members of the LGBT community and people living with HIV have been touched and made better by it. He has devoted his life to this work — pushing, pulling and leading our country toward equality — and we are tremendously grateful for his vision and tenacity."

Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest nonprofit legal organization working for justice and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and people living with HIV. When Cathcart assumed leadership of the organization, it had a staff of 21 people and offices in New York and Los Angeles. Today, there are more than 100 staff members working across the country with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Lambda Legal has a docket of more than 100 cases, and has helped win three historic Supreme Court cases that have changed the lives of LGBT people and the country:Romer v. Evans; Lawrence v. Texas; and the recent Supreme Court victory for marriage equality, Obergefell v. Hodges.

"It is simply not possible to replace Kevin's depth of experience and unique role in this movement," said Board Co-Chair Karen K. Dixon, "but one true measure of successful leadership is whether or not the organization you leave behind is strong and ready for the future. Kevin has built an incredible organization, with brilliant and dedicated attorneys and staff and a solid infrastructure. We will miss him dearly — but Lambda Legal won't stop fighting for justice and winning victories."

"I am proud of what we have accomplished together," Cathcart said, "and the work will not stop over the next 10 months or the decades ahead. Our community deserves our best efforts, addressing the discrimination, violence, and inequality we still face. I plan to keep us moving forward until my last day at Lambda Legal and I have every confidence in the organization's staff and volunteer leadership — as well as in the next generation of leaders. As with any major transition, this is an opportunity for Lambda Legal to look toward the future and continue building the capacity of the organization."

Cathcart is considered by many to be the 'dean' of LGBT leaders, as the longest serving head of a major national LGBT nonprofit. Before coming to Lambda Legal, he served from 1984 to 1992 as the executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD ) in Boston, New England's LGBT and AIDS legal organization. In all, Cathcart has been the Executive Director of a major LGBT and HIV legal rights organization for 32 years, a time period which encompasses most of the historic victories and advances of our movement.

At Lambda Legal, he led the strategy to finally eliminate state anti-sodomy laws that criminalized sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex, leading to the thrilling and game-changing 2003 Supreme Court victory in Lawrence v. Texas.

Cathcart oversaw the continuing expansion of issues and projects at Lambda Legal, in order to address the needs of a broad range of LGBT people and people living HIV. For example, the Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project seeks to improve care of LGBT youth in foster care, shelters and other settings, along with work on behalf of all LGBTQ youth. With its National Marriage Project, Lambda Legal played a leading role in litigation and education to win the freedom to marry. Cathcart oversaw creation of Lambda Legal's Proyecto Igualdad to better reach the LGBT Latino community and build bridges with other Latino civil rights organizations, and has recently expanded the project to increase work with other communities of color. Lambda Legal also has Transgender Rights and HIV Projects; and work addressing employment fairness; health care fairness; criminal justice and police misconduct; parents and children; seniors; immigrants' rights; racial justice and low-income advocacy; and fair courts. While some organizations have made HIV less of a priority, Cathcart has firmly maintained Lambda Legal's focus on the ongoing epidemic and its disproportionate impact on gay men and people of color.

While Lawrence and Obergefell were the most historic rulings secured during Cathcart's career, there have been many others that have built the jurisprudence we now rely on: Cammermeyer v. Perry ( 1994 ), successfully challenging the removal of a lesbian officer from the military; Nabozny v. Podlesny ( 1996 ), finding schools liable for failing to protect gay students from harassment; Romer v. Evans ( 1996 ), a Supreme Court victory making clear that antigay sentiment is not a valid basis for laws; Varnum v. Brien ( 2009 ), a unanimous ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court in favor of marriage equality; and Glenn v. Brumby ( 2011 ), a federal appeals court ruling that Georgia violated the Constitution when it fired an employee because she is transgender.

In a speech delivered in June, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said, "Lambda Legal's visionary activists and unstoppable advocates have made a mark so deep, so transformative, and so permanent that no account of this movement — and no history of this nation — can be written without reference to your enduring contributions to the meaning of full and equal citizenship."

The Board Co-Chairs announced that the organization will conduct a search, beginning this fall, to replace Cathcart.


This article shared 3498 times since Wed Jul 15, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Howard Brown experts discuss advocacy and allyship for Chicago's trans community 2024-03-14
By Alec Karam - Howard Brown Health's Trans & Gender Diverse People's Rights & Patient Care panel convened March 12 to discuss both resources for—and opportunities to provide allyship to—the city's trans and gender diverse communities. The event hos ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health faces October trial if settlement isn't reached with union 2024-03-13
- Howard Brown Health could go to trial over unfair labor practice allegations if the LGBTQ+ health center doesn't reach a settlement with its agreement soon. Chicago's regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community 2024-03-12
- Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted's signature Human First Gala to return 2024-03-11
--From a press release - CHICAGO, IL — Center on Halsted's signature Human First Gala will be held on Saturday, April 20 at The Geraghty. The gala brings together LGBTQ+ community members and allies for an evening of celebration to recognize ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted celebrates Dreams of Drag 2024-03-11
- On March 9, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., in partnership with the Ralla Klepak Foundation, presented the Dreams of Drag Spring Cohort Class of 2024. The event featured performances from a class of new ...


Gay News

Affinity Community Services' Latonya Maley announces departure 2024-03-06
- Latonya Maley, executive director of Affinity Community Services, announced March 6 that she would be stepping down from her post. The announcement came from a statement with Affinity board members. Maley said that, "It has been ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show 2024-03-03
- On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health Names Robin Gay, DMD as Interim President and CEO 2024-02-23
--From a press release - Howard Brown Health's Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Robin Gay, DMD as Interim President and CEO. Dr. Gay, who most recently served as Chief Dental Officer, assumes the role formerly held by outgoing ...


Gay News

Owasso High School student of Bridge v. Oklahoma State Board of Education case dies, groups respond 2024-02-20
--From press releases - Oklahoma City, Okla. — In response to the death of 16-year-old Owasso High School student Nex Benedict following an assault in the school restroom, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Oklahoma ...


Gay News

GLAAD releases report on LGBTQ+ inclusion in video games 2024-02-19
- LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD has released a report on queer inclusion in the world of video games. Among the key findings in "Gaming: The State of LGBTQ Inclusion in Video Games" is that 17%—nearly one in ...


Gay News

SAVOR A new Sushi By Bou, a seafood boil class and James Beard scholarships 2024-02-18
- Pop life: Don't forget my other Substack: "Pop-Eds: My takes on pop culture." Thank you so much to the people who've already subscribed. The latest entry (Feb. 17) features Beyonce, Zendaya and my Oscar predictions. Subscribe ...


Gay News

Connections for the Homeless purchases Evanston hotel 2024-02-18
- Connections for the Homeless in Evanston hosted an open house at the Margarita Inn, formerly a boutique hotel, February 13, to celebrate its purchase for use as a hotel-based interim shelter. The Margarita Inn will give ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.