Panel Discussion | The Evolution of Black LGBTQ Leadership

SPEAKERS

Kylar W. Broadus (he/him) is a Black man of trans experience who has been a pioneer in the movement as an attorney, longtime activist, public speaker, author and professor. He is the founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC) run by Brenden Watts. Broadus was honored to stand with President Obama as Obama signed the Executive Order adding protections for millions of workers in 2014. In 2012, he was the first trans person to testify before the United States Senate on the subject of employment protection. Kylar serves on many boards. He has extensive experience in training and education and spends his time doing mostly diversity, equity and inclusion work and public speaking. He has received many awards, including the Trans Trailblazer Award by the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles in 2019 and the 2018 Gentleman of Excellence Award by the Gentlemen’s Foundation of Atlanta. The Advocate has recognized Broadus as one of “25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights.”

Bryce J. Celotto (he/him) (moderator) is a Black, queer, transmasculine policy advocate, educator, facilitator and writer. Bryce has almost a decade of experience working at the intersections of race, class, sexuality and gender in education, social change movements and politics. Bryce has expertise in education equity, progressive policy, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Civil Rights history, and LGBTQ advocacy. He also has experience working on political campaigns and crafting messaging for political causes. He has worked at nationally recognized LGBTQ organizations such as the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) where he advanced inclusive non-discrimination and anti-bullying policy at the local, state and federal level. He developed strong leadership skills while serving as a board member at the National Center For Transgender Equality, TransLaw, and the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth.

Krü Maekdo (pronounced “make-do”) (she/her) is a multimedia artist known for her work as an archivist with the Black Lesbian Archives, an ongoing archival herstory project that aims to uplift the voices of Black lesbians and to educate, preserve and bridge intergenerational gaps between communities. She is a kosmic rootwork astrologist at Aranae Storm and is the chief executive officer CEO of Maekdo Productions, a multimedia production company producing media and event programming that serves women’s arts, community and culture in the LGBTQ community.

Crystal Mason (they/them) is an activist, artist, mediator and Managing Director of Queer Rebels Productions working hard to lift up QTPoC voices and centering our dreams, hopes and desires.

Preston Mitchum (he/him) is a Black and queer civil rights advocate, writer and public speaker who uses critical thinking and intersectionality in his writing and analyses. He brings both legal and policy experience to his role as the director of policy of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. In this capacity Preston shapes state and federal strategies and policies that center the voices and leadership of young people in the South and Midwest. Prior to joining URGE, Preston served as senior legal and international policy analyst with Advocates for Youth. Preston is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center teaching LGBTQ Health Law and Policy, is the co-chair of the board of directors for the Collective Action for Safe Spaces and was also the first openly LGBTQ chair of the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

Toni Newman (she/her) is a consultant for the Transgender Strategy Center based in Los Angeles. Toni is a 1985 graduate of Wake Forest University and current J.D. candidate. She was formerly the executive director for St. James Infirmary; the development director for Maitri Compassionate Care, an HIV/AIDS hospice in San Francisco; and the interim director of development and communications at the To Help Everyone Health and Wellness Center in Los Angeles.

Imani Rupert-Gordon (she/her) is a longtime movement leader and advocate for LGBTQ people of color. She currently serves as the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Previously, she served as the executive director of Affinity Community Services, the nation’s oldest social-justice organization serving the needs of Black LGBTQ people with a particular focus on Black women. She also served as the director of the Broadway Youth Center, a division of Howard Brown Health in Chicago, which has served more than 1,500 LGBTQ youths experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Rupert-Gordon has been widely recognized for her visionary leadership in the LGBTQ community. Most recently, the Illinois Human Rights Commission presented her with its 2019 Activism Award.