(San Francisco, CA, August 28, 2012)—The National Center for Lesbian Rights is pleased to announce that Geoff Kors, a long-time leader in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement, has joined NCLR’s staff as Senior Legislative and Policy Strategist. Kors will work with NCLR State Legislative Director Connie Utada and NCLR Policy Director Maya Rupert to strengthen and expand the organization’s advocacy on national, state, and local legislative and policy initiatives.
In this new role, Kors will provide strategic support to state and local groups, including helping groups identify opportunities to make legislative and policy advances, develop messaging and public education campaigns, work with coalition partners, and build political support for specific initiatives. He will also support NCLR’s development team, and work with NCLR’s national partners to advance federal legislation and policy to protect LGBTQ people.
“Few people have had a greater positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ people and their families than Geoff,” said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell. “We are thrilled to have such an accomplished strategist and leader on our team. Geoff will play a pivotal role in providing support to state and local groups, with the goal of enacting laws that will benefit millions of people in states and localities across the country.”
Kors is one of the most accomplished legislative and policy strategists in the LGBTQ movement. Over the past two decades, he has helped to enact scores of local and state laws, including helping to pass anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ people and people with HIV/AIDS during his tenure as the Director of the ACLU of Illinois’ Gay and Lesbian Rights and Aids and Civil Liberties Projects from 1994 to 1995, originating San Francisco’s landmark equal benefits law as a board member of the Harvey Milk Club in 1996, and leading Equality California from 2002 to 2011 as the organization passed more than 70 pieces of LGBTQ equality legislation.
“Having worked closely with the terrific staff at NCLR for years, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the team and work in partnership with state and local groups that are on the front line fighting to advance equality,” said Kors. “While our movement has had amazing successes, there is a great deal of work to do, especially in states with limited or no rights.”
Said Equality Federation Executive Director Rebecca Isaacs: “NCLR has a long history of supporting the work of state and local groups. Geoff’s new position will build on that foundation and increase the capacity of state and local leaders to make real change. We look forward to working with him and the rest of the NCLR team.”
Added Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith: “Geoff is an extremely talented strategist who understands the importance of state and local advocacy and the challenges faced by state and local leaders. This type of strategic support will be a huge benefit to state and local groups across the country.”
Kors, a member of Freedom to Marry Action’s Board of Directors, is a graduate of Union College and Stanford Law School. He begins his new role at NCLR today, August 28, 2012.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is 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.