“When you hear Shannon before the court, what strikes you is his conviction. His steadiness comes from operating squarely within the truth: that the Constitution’s promise is real, the American dream belongs to all of us, and law, wielded with courage and precision, can be an instrument of genuine justice.” -GLAD Law’s Ricardo Martinez

DALLAS — TIME today named Shannon Minter, Legal Director at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR), to the 2026 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Minter is one of the nation’s foremost civil rights attorneys, whose career spanning more than three decades has produced some of the most consequential legal victories in the fight for LGBTQ equality.

From his early work as a law student helping a transgender woman challenge sexual violence in federal prison to his role as counsel in landmark Supreme Court cases on marriage equality and parental rights, Minter has been at the center of virtually every major legal battle for LGBTQ rights in a generation. His work at NCLR has helped to reshape constitutional law, expand protections for LGBTQ families, and defend the rights of transgender service members to serve in the United States military.

Minter reflected on the recognition and the clients whose courage made the work possible:

“I grew up in Texas knowing that I was different and feeling like an outsider, longing for a chance to belong and participate fully in the world around me. I became a lawyer to change that — not just for myself and other transgender people but for every LGBTQ person the law has failed to protect,” said Minter. “For more than 30 years at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, I have represented plaintiffs who risked everything to do exactly that — challenging harmful federal and state policies, defending their families, and asserting their human rights to be safe from sexual violence while incarcerated. Their courage has reshaped our legal system and widened our vision of who belongs. They made me braver than I ever would have been on my own. TIME100’s recognition of this work means so much, especially in this moment.”

Minter’s impact is visible in the deep relationships he has formed with the courageous plaintiffs and colleagues who have transformed LGBTQ civil rights in the United States over the past three decades. Among the first was Dee Deidre Farmer, the first openly transgender plaintiff to bring a case before the United States Supreme Court. In Farmer v. Brennan (1994), the Court established that incarcerated people have a constitutional right to be free from sexual violence and assault. Minter connected with Farmer in 1992, while still a law student, and provided legal research to assist with her case.

“Nearly 40 years ago, when I entered federal prison as a terrified, isolated 19 year-old transgender woman, the world told me I had no rights. In that darkness, I prayed for an answer, and I got Shannon Minter. Shannon told me — and showed me — that I am somebody. I carried that truth with me all the way to the United States Supreme Court, where I stood before the nation insisting that I had a constitutional right not to be raped. Shannon has been doing this work — quietly, faithfully, relentlessly, and with extraordinary moral clarity — for as long as I have known him. My deepest hope is that I can live my life in a way that reflects even a fraction of the humanity he has given to me and to others.”

— Dee Deidre Farmer

In the decades that followed, Minter rose to become one of the leading legal strategists in the fight for marriage equality. As Legal Director of NCLR, he served as counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court case that guaranteed the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide, and in Pavan v. Smith (2017), which confirmed that marriage equality protects parental rights. His co-counsel in both cases, Doug Hallward-Driemeier, spoke to the scope and depth of Minter’s commitment:

“Shannon Minter is a national treasure. Very few people have the opportunity to make the world a better place for millions of their fellow humans, and even fewer actually take advantage of that opportunity — Shannon has seized that chance for all it is worth. For many years, Shannon has committed himself, each and every day, to doing the hard work of fighting oppression and bigotry, especially against members of the LGBTQ community. He has made a difference through countless wins, but even when he cannot win, he makes the lives of many so much brighter because they know that they are not alone; Shannon is in their corner to advocate on their behalf.”

— Doug Hallward-Driemeier

In 2017, NCLR and GLAD Law represented transgender servicemembers in a challenge to the Trump administration’s ban on military service. When President Trump reinstated this ban in 2025, NCLR and GLAD Law filed again. Second Lieutenant Nicolas Talbott serves as lead plaintiff in the current case, Talbott v. USA, and was also a plaintiff during the original 2017 litigation. He described Minter’s influence not only as an attorney but as a mentor:

“I’ve known Shannon Minter for nearly 10 years, and he is an incredible mentor and friend. Shannon exemplifies everything a role model should be. I aspire to be the kind of leader to my soldiers that Shannon is to those around him.”

— Second Lieutenant Nicolas Talbott

The TIME100 list recognizes the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Minter joins a distinguished roster of leaders across politics, science, business, entertainment, and the arts who are shaping the future.

The full list and related tributes appear in the April 27, 2026, issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, April 17, and now online at time.com/time100.

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About the National Center for LGBTQ Rights

The National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the rights and safety of LGBTQ people through litigation, legislation, policy, and public interest advocacy. Founded in 1977, NCLR is the first national LGBTQ legal organization founded by women, bringing a fierce commitment to racial and economic justice and to our community’s most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.nclrights.org.