Kate Kendell
{{for|the Australian actress|Kate Kendall}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kate Kendell
| image = Katekendell.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Kathryn Dean Kendell
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|04|15}}
| birth_place = Portland, Oregon
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| occupation = Chief of Staff at the California Endowment
| years_active =
| spouse =
| known_for = LGBTQ advocacy, civil rights advocacy
| notable_works =
}}
Kate Kendell (born Kathryn Dean Kendell, April 15, 1960) is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR),{{cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer |title=NCLR: The audacity to fight for justice. The perseverance to win |publisher=Nclrights.org |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024025822/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer |archive-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead }} a national legal organization that fights for the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Through direct litigation and advocacy, NCLR works to change discriminatory laws and to create new laws and policies protecting the LGBT community.
Career
Kendell served with NCLR beginning in 1994, when she joined the organization as its Legal Director. Two years later, she was named Executive Director, serving in that role until stepping down in 2018.{{cite news |last1=Ring |first1=Trudy |title=National Center for Lesbian Rights Leader on Making a Movement for All |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/2019/12/17/national-center-lesbian-rights-leader-making-movement-all |accessdate=December 17, 2019 |work=The Advocate |date=December 17, 2019}}
Kendell grew up as a Latter-day Saint in Utah.{{cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12969767 |title=Utah News – Salt Lake City News, Sports, Entertainment, Business – The Salt Lake Tribune |publisher=Sltrib.com |date=July 31, 2009 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://lesbianlife.about.com/b/2010/04/12/kate-kendell-and-the-national-center-for-lesbian-rights.htm |title=Kate Kendell and the National Center for Lesbian Rights |publisher=Lesbianlife.about.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928065735/http://lesbianlife.about.com/b/2010/04/12/kate-kendell-and-the-national-center-for-lesbian-rights.htm |url-status=dead }} After receiving her J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1988 and a few years practicing corporate law, she pursued her real love — civil rights advocacy — and became the first staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. There she directly litigated many high-profile cases focusing on all aspects of civil liberties, including reproductive rights, prisoners' rights, free speech, the rights of LGBT people, and the intersection of church and state.{{cite web |url=http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/activistspoliticians/a/KateKendell_2.htm |title=Kate Kendell Interview Page 2 |publisher=Lesbianlife.about.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928065752/http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/activistspoliticians/a/KateKendell_2.htm |url-status=dead }}
During her leadership, the issues facing the LGBT community—from homophobia in sports to immigration policy—have taken center stage in the United States' discussion of LGBT civil rights issues.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2QEAAAAMBAJ&q=kate+kendell+domestic+goddess&pg=PA33 |title=The Advocate – Google Books |date=June 7, 2005 |publisher=Here |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} Kendell is a nationally recognized spokesperson for LGBT rights and has an active voice in major media, including The New York Times,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/09/magazine/09LAWYERS.html?pagewanted=all |title=Toward a More Perfect Union – New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=May 9, 2004 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} The Wall Street Journal,{{cite web|last=Jones |first=Ashby |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/02/08/prop-8-judge-is-reportedly-gay-what-to-make-of-that/ |title=Prop. 8 Judge is Reportedly Gay: What to Make of That? – Law Blog – WSJ |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=February 8, 2010 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} The Advocate,{{cite web|last=Weisberg |first=Julie |url=http://www.advocate.com/article.aspx?id=22257 |title=Supreme Beings | \ |publisher=The Advocate |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} NPR,{{cite web|author=The Bryant Park Project |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90506529 |title=California Overturns Same-Sex Marriage Ban |publisher=NPR |date=May 16, 2008 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} CNN,{{cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0810/22/ijvm.01.html |title=CNN.com – Transcripts |publisher=CNN |date=October 22, 2008 |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629041824/http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0810/22/ijvm.01.html |url-status=dead }} and many others. Despite the national success of NCLR under her tenure, her most rewarding responsibilities still include fostering alliances on the community and organizational levels, and advocating from a grass-roots perspective on issues concerning social justice.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSXauz5WQ30 ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523221801/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSXauz5WQ30 |date=May 23, 2014 }}[http://glaadblog.org/tag/kate-kendell/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804141109/http://glaadblog.org/tag/kate-kendell/ |date=August 4, 2011 }} She is also known for her inspiring and motivating keynote speeches at NCLR's annual Anniversary Celebration{{cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nclr_getinvolved_2010ann |title=NCLR: get involved > 2010 anniversary celebration > home |publisher=Nclrights.org |date=May 21, 2011 |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928115339/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nclr_getinvolved_2010ann |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=dead }} events and at events across the country.{{cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nclr_getinvolved_events |title=NCLR: get involved > events |publisher=Nclrights.org |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007101336/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nclr_getinvolved_events |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}
In July 2019 Kendell began working with the Southern Poverty Law Center as its Interim Co-Legal Director until May 2021. In June 2021 Kendell was named Chief of Staff at The California Endowment.
On April 1, 2025, Kendell was announced as the new CEO of the Gill Foundation, with a start date of May 7.{{cite news |last1=Ring |first1=Trudy |title=Longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Kate Kendell is the new CEO of the Gill Foundation (exclusive) |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/kate-kendell-gill-foundation-ceo |access-date=April 1, 2025 |work=The Advocate |date=April 1, 2025}}
Awards
On March 23, 2010, Kendell was named a "woman who could be president" by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco at their annual "Women Who Could Be President" gala.{{cite web|url=http://sfluxe.com/2010/03/24/women-who-could-be-president/ |title=Women Who Could Be President | San Francisco Luxury Living |publisher=Sfluxe.com |date=March 24, 2010 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} On October 13, 2009, Kendell was named a hero of National GLBT History Month.{{cite web |url=http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/icon.cfm?id=45&tab=biography |title=Kate Kendell | LGBTHistoryMonth.com |publisher=Glbthistorymonth.com |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711101431/http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/icon.cfm?id=45&tab=biography |url-status=dead }} In 2004, she was named one of California's Top 100 Attorneys{{cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_katekendell101204 |title=NCLR: press center > 2004 > press release |publisher=Nclrights.org |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928115412/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_katekendell101204 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |url-status=dead }} and also won the Del Martin/Phyllis Lyon Marriage Equality Award at Equality California's 2004 San Francisco Equality Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.samesexmarriage.ca/advocacy/EQCA230304.htm |title=Equal Marriage For Same-Sex Couples | Advocacy News | 2004 San Francisco Equality Awards |publisher=Samesexmarriage.ca |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} In 2002, she won the National LGBT Bar Association's Dan Bradley Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.lgbtbar.org/danbradley.html |title=Dan Bradley Award Winners |publisher=Lgbtbar |date=September 8, 2011 |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=October 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011143158/http://www.lgbtbar.org/danbradley.html |url-status=dead }}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110819122815/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=About_Staff_KateKendell Kate's NCLR bio]
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/NCLRights#p/u/10/20fkzCgHLyI Short Video About NCLR and Kate]
- [http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/icon.cfm?id=45 GLBT History Month Honors Kate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227102121/http://www.glbthistorymonth.com/glbthistorymonth/2009/icon.cfm?id=45 |date=December 27, 2009 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kendell, Kate}}
Category:American LGBTQ rights activists
Category:Former Latter Day Saints
Category:S.J. Quinney College of Law alumni