Head of Lambda Legal to retire following Supreme Court victory
The head of pro-LGBT law firm Lambda Legal has announced he is to retire, after victory for equality as the Supreme Court.
Lambda Legal has played a role in many landmark LGBT equality cases, from the 2003 ‘Lawrence v Texas’ case striking down sodomy laws, through to a number of state-level equal marriage cases prior to last month’s historic ruling.
Following the ruling, executive director Kevin Cathcart has announced he will retire from Lambda Legal after 22 years.
He said: “I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and the work will not stop over the next 10 months or the decades ahead.
“Our community deserves our best efforts, addressing the discrimination, violence, and inequality we still face. I plan to keep us moving forward until my last day at Lambda Legal and I have every confidence in the organization’s staff and volunteer leadership – as well as in the next generation of leaders.
“As with any major transition, this is an opportunity for Lambda Legal to look toward the future and continue building the capacity of the organization.”
He will retire in April 2016.
Co-chair Karen Dixon said: “It is simply not possible to replace Kevin’s depth of experience and unique role in this movement, but one true measure of successful leadership is whether or not the organization you leave behind is strong and ready for the future.
“Kevin has built an incredible organization, with brilliant and dedicated attorneys and staff and a solid infrastructure. We will miss him dearly – but Lambda Legal won’t stop fighting for justice and winning victories.”
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said previously: “Lambda Legal’s visionary activists and unstoppable advocates have made a mark so deep, so transformative, and so permanent that no account of this movement – and no history of this nation – can be written without reference to your enduring contributions to the meaning of full and equal citizenship.”
