The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has named Kylar W. Broadus as Senior Public Policy Counsel of the Transgender Civil Rights Project.
"We are delighted to have Kylar W. Broadus join the Task Force as Senior Public Policy Counsel, leading our Transgender Civil Rights Project which is such an important component of our work," said Rea Carey, Task Force Executive Director.
Broadus has enjoyed a prolific career as an activist, writer, lawyer, professor, lobbyist and public speaker. As an attorney, Broadus practiced with a focus on LGBT law, particularly, transgender rights. He currently serves as faculty at Lincoln University in Missouri.
"I am extremely honored and excited to be working at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force given its history in general as a progressive organization but particularly the leadership it has provided in the transgender movement", said Broadus. "I intend to build off this great work and continue to make the Task Force a key player in the transgender movement."
In 2012, Broadus was awarded the Susan J. Hyde Activism Award for Longevity in the Movement at the Task Force's National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. That same year, he made history as the first transgender American to testify before the U.S. Senate on behalf of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Broadus' testimony was also personal, because he has faced discrimination due to his gender identity.
He recalls: "After I announced my gender transition, it only took six months before I was 'constructively discharged' from my employer. I was harassed until I was forced to leave. The stress was overwhelming. I ended up taking a stress leave for several weeks. In the end, I was forced out and unemployed for about a year before finally obtaining full-time employment."
Broadus is a Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellow and used his fellowship to lay the groundwork for the establishment of the Trans People of Color Coalition to support and advance the rights of transgender people of color. He is the former chair and currently serves on the board of directors of the National Black Justice Coalition. He also serves on the William's Institute Faculty Advisory Counsel and is part of the GenIUSS Group, a project that focuses on transgender data collection issues.
A prolific writer, Broadus has authored law review articles, op-eds and other educational materials related to transgender law and policy including a piece in the first-ever comprehensive work onTransgender Civil Rights by Currah, Juag and Minter in 2006 on "The Evolution of Employment Discrimination Protections for Transgender People" which is used throughout the country in Gender and Women's Studies classes.
A skilled lobbyist, Broadus served as faculty and assisted to develop a curricula and to train and lobby with over 300 hundred activists for the Task Force's first national lobby day during the 2012 Creating Change conference in Baltimore. An extensive public speaker, Broadus has presented at the American Bar Association and the National LGBT Bar Association Conferences on issues regarding transgender rights.
Broadus is well versed in the multi-tiered work of the Task Force and will work to accelerate the pace of progress on legislation and public policies for transgender individuals as well as the broader social justice movement.
"We could not be more proud of The Task Force for recognizing the amazing talents and intellectual heft of Kylar Broadus. He will administer an aggressive and substantive platform for transgender equality," says Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director/CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition.
"As one of the most experienced and respected litigators, thinkers, and strategists in the LGBT movement, Kylar is a true powerhouse who will bring enormous insight and creativity to this important position," says Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "Throughout his career, Kylar has continually developed cutting edge strategies to protect transgender people, worked to raise the visibility and leadership of transgender people of color, and demonstrated unfailing collegiality and collaboration. He is a great leader, and I look forward to working with him closely in his new role at the Task Force."
"The Task Force could not have brought on a stronger national leader to continue the great work of its transgender advocacy project," says Jennifer Levi, GLAD Transgender Civil Rights Project Director. "Kylar brings passion, experience and keen intellect. He has a demonstrated commitment to the issues and will no doubt take the work to a new level. I am excited to formally work with him in this new capacity."
"Kylar Broadus is one of the giants of our community," says Marisa Richmond, Ph.D., Lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. "He has helped promote understanding and diversity for many years, and I believe he will help move the transgender community forward in this position for years to come."
