Kate Kendell

Kate Kendell led the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. NCLR’s legal, policy, and legislative victories set important precedents that improve the lives of all LGBT people and their families across the country. Kate acted as NCLR’s primary spokesperson and appeared in hundreds of media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, NPR, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and dozens of online blogs. Kate is also a visible and vibrant social media voice. Under Kate’s leadership, NCLR focused on numerous projects and legal issue areas, including immigration, employment, family and relationships, health care, housing, poverty, and youth. Before her time at NCLR, Ms. Kendell worked as a corporate attorney and was then named the first staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. In this capacity, she oversaw the legal department of ACLU of Utah and directly litigated many high-profile cases focusing on all aspects of civil liberties, including reproductive rights, prisoners’ rights, church/state conflicts, free speech, and the rights of LGBTQ people. She holds a J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law.