Kelley Robinson Becomes First Black Queer Woman to Lead Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced Tuesday it had appointed its first Black, queer female president. Kelley Robinson will become the organization’s ninth president, and previously served as the executive director of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “This is a pivotal moment in our movement for equality for LGBTQ+ people,” Robinson said in a statement. “We, particularly our trans and BIPOC communities, are quite literally in the fight for our lives and facing unprecedented threats that seek to destroy us. The overturning of Roe v. Wade reminds us we are just one Supreme court decision away from losing fundamental freedoms including the freedom to marry, voting rights, and privacy. We are facing a generational opportunity to rise to these challenges and create real, sustainable change. I believe that working together this change is possible right now. This next chapter of the Human Rights Campaign is about getting to freedom and liberation without any exceptions—and today I am making a promise and commitment to carry this work forward.” Robinson’s appointment comes a year after HRC fired its previous president Alphonso David after it emerged he had advised New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on how to respond sexual misconduct allegations. David subsequently sued HRC claiming he was fired because of his race.