July 2, 2014
Articles by Kate Kendell, Esq.
July 1, 2014
Dispatch from Kate
Julian, Sandy, and I were lucky enough yesterday to attend the LGBT Pride Month Commemoration event at the White House. President Obama and First Lady Michelle were there, along with some of NCLR’s closest colleagues and so many who have fought tirelessly for this moment. The Advocate asked me to write about my thoughts on…June 24, 2014
All LGBT Kids Are #BornPerfect
Even as the LGBT community enjoys huge gains in understanding and acceptance. Even as we have key leaders from every sector and across every spectrum supporting our full equality and rejecting rank bigotry. Even as we seem closer than ever to winning the freedom to marry nationwide, a persistent and longstanding threat has reemerged. You…May 29, 2014
The Loss of Family
I was sad all day yesterday. It was only in the moment of hearing the news of Dr. Maya Angelou’s death that I realized how much her living had meant to me. I never met Dr. Angelou, but like so many of us, when we heard this news, I felt like I had lost a…May 16, 2014
Maggie, Michael, Marriage, Memory, and Where Our Movement Goes Next
The column was not exactly as advertised. This week, I finally got around to reading the blog posted on May 1 by ardent same-sex marriage foe Maggie Gallagher. A number of sources had described the blog variously as her abandoning the fight or conceding failure, noting this passage: “Hiding or pretending is not going to…April 8, 2014
A Mormon and a Lesbian Walk Into a Bar …
That could be the opening to a great joke, but the story here ends with something better than a punch line. My sister Sharon and I could not be more different. In high school, she was the super-popular and uber-cute homecoming queen, student officer, and North Ogden Miss Cherry Days. I was immersed in debate,…February 22, 2014
Take a Stand Against Hate in Arizona
Even as we celebrate a new breakthrough every week, we must be vigilant for threats to our community. Case in point—Arizona. This week, the Arizona legislature passed a bill which would allow businesses to refuse service, based on their religious beliefs, to LGBT people or anyone else. The bill is patently unconstitutional, but we cannot…January 17, 2014
Utah: This Time it’s Personal
January 2014 has barely begun and already we are off like a rocket. On December 20th, federal district court Judge Robert Shelby ruled that Utah’s Amendment 3 is unconstitutional and that same-sex couples could begin marrying there immediately. Our community, and everyone committed to justice for LGBT people, has been buzzing ever since. In our…December 20, 2013
A Healthy 2014 For Millions–For the First Time
In August 2012, I had (another) bike crash. It was my own idiocy that caused the crash. I was riding down a hill in San Francisco, just blocks from home, when, in trying to beat the light, I swerved around a MUNI train. My bike tire got wedged in the MUNI track and I was…December 11, 2013