OUTstanding Speaker Series: Imani Rupert-Gordon, “The State of the LGBTQ Movement: What is at Stake, and How We are Going to Win”

2024 OUTstanding Speaker Series Lecture 
Imani Rupert-Gordon
Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights 
“The State of the LGBTQ Movement: What is at Stake, and How We are Going to Win”

In this presentation we will discuss the work of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the status of the anti-LGBTQ bills and their impact, the importance of intersectional strategies in 2024 and beyond, and how to develop and harness leadership so that we all can be part of creating a safer world for everyone.

About the speaker: Imani Rupert-Gordon is the Executive Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). NCLR is a national legal organization committed to achieving and advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy, and public education.

Before joining NCLR, Imani served as the Executive Director for Affinity Community Services. Affinity is a LGBTQ social justice organization honoring the experiences of Black LGBTQ women. She also served as the Director of the Broadway Youth Center, part of Howard Brown Health in Chicago, serving LGBTQ youth experiencing housing instability.

Imani is a nationally recognized leader and well known for her visionary leadership. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including being named to The Root 100 list, recognizing her as one of the most influential Black leaders in the country, as well as receiving the Judith Butler Award by The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice for her strong commitment to social change, leadership, and innovative approaches to the field of social work. Imani is cited as an expert on a range of topics including LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, gender justice, and has been featured in several news outlets including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and NPR, ABC, CBS, and Fox.

Imani received a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

About this series: The OUTstanding speaker series is a collaborative effort between the Center for the Study of Gender & Sexuality and the UChicago Alumni PRIDE network designed to bring LGBTQ rights activists and practitioners to our campus.

Free and open to the public.