Sharon McGowan

Last updated
Sharon McGowan
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLawyer

Sharon McGowan is an American lawyer and a partner at Katz Banks Kumin LLP, an employment and whistleblower firm based in Washington, D.C. [1] Prior to joining KBK, she was the legal director and chief strategy officer for Lambda Legal. [2] [3] McGowan was an Obama administration appointee [4] in the role of Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Policy at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. She also served as Principal Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section of the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice. [5] [6] [7] In 2019, she was honored with the Stonewall Award, bestowed by the American Bar Association's Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. [8]

Contents

Early life and education

McGowan was raised in Queens. Her father was an NYPD lieutenant and commanding officer of the hostage negotiation team. [8] [9] Her mother was a secretary at St. Kevin's Roman Catholic Church. [9] McGowan entered storytelling contests as an adolescent and as a teen, partook in her high school forensics club. [8] She came out as gay to her parents in the late '90s. [10]

While earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, [9] McGowan acted as a help desk clerk to GLAD attorneys. [8] She graduated from the university with honors in 1995, after which she attended Harvard Law School, graduating with honors in 2000. [6] [11] [9]

Career

Early on in her career, McGowan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Norman H. Stahl, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and as a law clerk to the Honorable Helen Ginger Berrigan, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. [6] McGowan was also an associate at Jenner & Block, Washington, D.C., where she was a member of litigation team in Lawrence v. Texas, which resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court striking down sodomy laws as unconstitutional. [12]

Early on in her career, McGowan served as Staff Attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & AIDS Project, [6] where she served as lead attorney in a landmark Title VII case, Schroer v. Billington, which established new protections for transgender individuals against employment discrimination based on their gender identity and gender transition. [13]

During the Obama administration, Ms. McGown held several senior positions. She was the Principal Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, [14] where she supervised attorneys and advised the U.S. Solicitor General and federal agencies on a broad range of civil rights issues related to the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, education, credit, voting, and policing in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Ms. McGowan also served as Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Policy at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where she led the implementation of key administration priorities including nationwide marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act. [15]

McGowan was hired to serve as Director of Strategy for Lambda Legal in February 2017, establishing their offices in Washington, D.C. [6] [11] In 2018, she became in the organization’s Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer, overseeing a team of over thirty lawyers and paraprofessionals and working on key LGBTQ civil rights cases like Bostock v. Clayton County. [16]

In 2022, Ms. McGowan announced that she would be joining Katz Banks Kumin LLP as a partner, [17] working alongside other high-profile civil rights attorneys such as Debra Katz. In 2023, she announced that she was representing Terry Horton, a Black property-owner in Cincinnati who encountered discriminatory treatment while attempting to refinance his home. [18] Ms. McGowan filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on behalf of Mr. Horton and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. The case was later reported on by The New York Times [19] and NPR. [20]

Noteworthy publications and speaking engagements

McGowan received the 2011 Dukeminier Award from the Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law for outstanding legal scholarship for her article, Working with Clients to Develop Compatible Visions of What It Means to “Win” a Case: Reflections on Schroer v. Billington, 45 HARV. CIV. R.- CIV. L. L. REV. 205 (2010). [21]

Ms. McGowan is a co-author of the 4th edition of the American Civil Liberties Union publication, The Rights of Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals and Transgender People (2004), along with Nan Hunter and Courtney Joslin. [22]

In September 2019, McGowan and Vanita Gupta co-authored an article for a SCOTUSblog symposium about Bostock v. Clayton County in support of the argument that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. [23]

On July 20, 2021, McGowan testified before the Presidential Commission on Supreme Court Reform. [24] On September 24, 2020, McGowan testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, regarding oversight of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. [25]

McGowan has been a regular participant in LGBTQ legal conferences across the country. In August 2019, McGowan presented at The 2020 Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair, leading workshops such as "A Comprehensive Look at Transgender Equality in the Workplace," "A Lifetime of Power: How the Trump Administration is Overhauling the Judiciary with Anti-LGBT Judges," and "Title IX and the Future of Protection for Students." [11]

Selected awards and recognition

In 2019, McGowan was a recipient of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Stonewall Award. [26]

In 2016, McGowan received the U.S. Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award (2016) for her work on behalf of the United States in Obergefell v. Hodges. [27]

In 2015, McGowan received the U.S. Attorney General’s John Marshall Award for Legal Advice for work on the Department’s Title VII litigation position regarding gender identity. [28]

In 2014, McGowan received the Bernard D. Mayes Award from the Serpentine Society, University of Virginia’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alumni Association for notable alumni and faculty who have contributed positively to advancing LGBTQ causes within the University of Virginia and beyond. [29]

Awards and honors

Personal life

McGowan married in 2010. [9] [30] She and her wife, Emily, a former Biden Foundation LGBTQ advisor and former Chief Policy Officer for the Family Equality Council, [31] have two daughters. [32]

In media

Podcasts

DateSeriesEpisode
Sept. 20, 2019Out in Left Field with Dana Goldberg [33] "Sharon McGowan Goes Out in Left Field"
Feb. 2, 2019Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick, a Slate podcast [34] "What Did We Learn From The Trans Ban Injunction Decision?"

Other

YearOutletTitle
April 19, 2019 Human Rights Campaign [35] "Lambda Legal Supports the Equality Act"
March 21, 2019 Human Rights Campaign [36] "Unprecedented Support for the Equality Act"
June 27, 201889.0 KBBI [37] "LGBTQ Rights Group Reflects On Justice Anthony Kennedy's Retirement"
June 4, 201890.9 WBUR [3] "Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Colorado Baker In Cakeshop Case"
Oct 22, 2018 PBS NewsHour [38] "HHS reportedly considering a limited definition of gender. Is it legal?"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall (charity)</span> UK-based charity and advocacy group for LGBT rights

Stonewall Equality Limited, trading as Stonewall, is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) rights charity in the United Kingdom. It is the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urvashi Vaid</span> Indian-American LGBT rights activist, lawyer and writer (1958–2022)

Urvashi Vaid was an Indian-born American LGBT rights activist, lawyer, and writer. An expert in gender and sexuality law, she was a consultant in attaining specific goals of social justice. She held a series of roles at the National LGBTQ Task Force, serving as executive director from 1989-1992 — the first woman of color to lead a national gay-and-lesbian organization. She is the author of Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation (1995) and Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the United States</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Michigan</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Michigan enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Michigan in June 2024 was ranked "the most welcoming U.S. state for LGBT individuals". Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Michigan under the U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage was legalised in accordance with 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is unlawful since July 2022, was re-affirmed by the Michigan Supreme Court - under and by a 1976 statewide law, that explicitly bans discrimination "on the basis of sex". The Michigan Civil Rights Commission have also ensured that members of the LGBT community are not discriminated against and are protected in the eyes of the law since 2018 and also legally upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2022. In March 2023, a bill passed the Michigan Legislature by a majority vote - to formally codify both "sexual orientation and gender identity" anti-discrimination protections embedded within Michigan legislation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill on March 16, 2023. In 2024, Michigan repealed “the last ban on commercial surrogacy within the US” - for individuals and couples and reformed the parentage laws, that acknowledges same sex couples and their families with children.

In the United States, the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades, there has been an expansion of federal, state, and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans; however, many rights remain unprotected, and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020, there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year, especially in Republican-led states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Ohio</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Ohio enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Ohio since 1974, and same-sex marriage has been legally recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. Ohio statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal in 2020. In addition, a number of Ohio cities have passed anti-discrimination ordinances providing protections in housing and public accommodations. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities. In December 2020, a federal judge invalidated a law banning sex changes on an individual's birth certificate within Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in West Virginia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of West Virginia face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT persons. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1976, and same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014. West Virginia statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in New Jersey</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of New Jersey have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. LGBT individuals in New Jersey enjoy strong protections from discrimination, and have had the same marriage rights as heterosexual people since October 21, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in New York</span>

The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Texas</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Texas have some protections in state law but may face legal and social challenges not faced by others. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in Texas in 2003 by the Lawrence v. Texas ruling. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Tennessee</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Tennessee may experience some legal challenges that non-LGBTQ residents do not. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1996. Marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples in Tennessee since the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in South Dakota</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of South Dakota may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Dakota, and same-sex marriages have been recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Idaho</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Idaho face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Idaho, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since October 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities and counties provide further protections, namely in housing and public accommodations. A 2019 Public Religion Research Institute opinion poll showed that 71% of Idahoans supported anti-discrimination legislation protecting LGBTQ people, and a 2016 survey by the same pollster found majority support for same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Mississippi</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Mississippi face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. LGBT rights in Mississippi are limited in comparison to other states. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Mississippi as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas. Same-sex marriage has been recognized since June 2015 in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. State statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law. The state capital Jackson and a number of other cities provide protections in housing and public accommodations as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT employment discrimination in the United States</span>

LGBT employment discrimination in the United States is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is encompassed by the law's prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Prior to the landmark cases Bostock v. Clayton County and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2020), employment protections for LGBT people were patchwork; several states and localities explicitly prohibit harassment and bias in employment decisions on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, although some only cover public employees. Prior to the Bostock decision, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) interpreted Title VII to cover LGBT employees; the EEOC determined that transgender employees were protected under Title VII in 2012, and extended the protection to encompass sexual orientation in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the United States Virgin Islands</span>

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights have evolved substantially in recent years. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1985. The region also provides explicit legal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ residents since December 2022. Following the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015, which found the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples unconstitutional, same-sex marriage became legal in the islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equality Act (United States)</span> Bill to prohibit sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the 117th Congress

The Equality Act was a bill in the United States Congress, that, if passed, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. The Supreme Court's June 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County protects gay and transgender people in matters of employment, but not in other respects. The Bostock ruling also covered the Altitude Express and Harris Funeral Homes cases.

Title IX of the United States Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination "on the basis of sex" in educational programs and activities that receive financial assistance from the federal government. The Obama administration interpreted Title IX to cover discrimination on the basis of assigned sex, gender identity, and transgender status. The Trump administration determined that the question of access to sex-segregated facilities should be left to the states and local school districts to decide. The validity of the executive's position is being tested in the federal courts.

House Bill 142 is a 2017 law that was enacted in the state of North Carolina that repealed House Bill 2. The bill states that all "state agencies, boards, offices, departments, institutions, branches of government, including The University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System, and political subdivisions of the State, are preempted from regulation of access to multiple occupancy restrooms, showers, or changing facilities, except in accordance with an act of the General Assembly." It also enacted that no local government in this state may enact or amend an ordinance regulating private employment practices or regulating public accommodations until December 1, 2020.

Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. 644 (2020), is a landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights decision in which the Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination because of sexuality or gender identity.

References

  1. ↑ Merken, Sara (12 September 2022). "Ex-Obama civil rights lawyer joins firm that represented Kavanaugh accuser". Reuters. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Carrie (2 January 2019). "Trump's Judicial Appointments Were Confirmed At Historic Pace In 2018". NPR.org.
  3. 1 2 "Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Colorado Baker In Cakeshop Case". www.wbur.org. 4 June 2018.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Carrie; Media, NPR Digital (22 September 2017). "LGBT Advocates: Trump Administration's Stance In Cake Case Is Yet Another Letdown". WBEZ.
  5. ↑ Kasperkevic, Jana. "Do LGBT conservatives still have faith that Trump will protect workers' rights?". www.wunc.org.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Top DOJ Lawyer Joins Lambda Legal". Lambda Legal.
  7. ↑ "Symposium: Let's talk about sex: why Title VII must cover sexual orientation and gender identity". SCOTUSblog. September 5, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "An Interview with SOGI Stonewall Awardee Sharon M. McGowan". www.americanbar.org.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sharon McGowan, Emily Hecht". The New York Times. June 5, 2010.
  10. ↑ McGowan, Sharon (October 11, 2018). "30 years in, National Coming Out Day is as important than ever". Medium.
  11. 1 2 3 "Sharon McGowan".
  12. ↑ "Lawrence v. Texas Merits Brief of Petitioners" (PDF). Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "schroer_defmotion_20080514.pdf" (PDF). ACLU. May 14, 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "An Interview with SOGI Stonewall Awardee Sharon M. McGowan". www.americanbar.org.
  15. ↑ "Sharon McGowan". Administrative Conference of the United States. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "20190703170952032_190704 for E-Filing.pdf" (PDF). Supreme Court. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Merken, Sara (12 September 2022). "Ex-Obama civil rights lawyer joins firm that represented Kavanaugh accuser". Reuters. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  18. ↑ "KBK Partner Sharon McGowan Featured in InvestigateTV Piece on Housing Discrimination". Katz Banks Kumin LLP. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  19. ↑ Kamin, Debra (18 March 2023). "A Landlord Got a Low Appraisal. He Is Black, and So Are His Tenants". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  20. ↑ "Man files federal complaint alleging racial discrimination in Cincinnati property appraisal". WVXU NPR Network. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Past Issues". Williams Institute. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  22. ↑ "The Rights of Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, and Transgender People". NYU Press. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "Symposium: Let's talk about sex: why Title VII must cover sexual orientation and gender identity". SCOTUS blog. 5 September 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  24. ↑ "July 20, 2021 PCSCOTUS Meeting | PCSCOTUS". The White House. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties" (PDF). Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  26. ↑ Flynn, Diana (January 6, 2019). "An Interview with SOGI Stonewall Awardee Sharon M. McGowan". American Bar Association. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Hosts the 64th Annual Attorney General's Awards Ceremony Honoring Justice Department Employees and Others for Their Service". www.justice.gov. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  28. ↑ "Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Hosts the 63rd Annual Attorney General Awards Honoring Department Employees and Others For Their Service". www.justice.gov. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  29. ↑ "Bernard D. Mayes Award". QVA. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  30. ↑ "Staff Profile: Sharon McGowan". Lambda Legal.
  31. ↑ Council, Family Equality (May 31, 2017). "Bittersweet News: Farewell and THANK YOU to Emily Hecht-McGowan". Medium.
  32. ↑ McGowan, Sharon (2017-05-14). "This Mothers' Day, Our LGBTQ Elders Need Our Support". Lambda Legal. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  33. ↑ "Legal Director of Lambda Legal Sharon McGowan Goes Out in Left Field from Out In Left Field with Dana Goldberg". www.stitcher.com.
  34. ↑ "Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - What Did We Learn from the Trans Ban Injunction Decision?".
  35. ↑ "Lambda Legal Supports the Equality Act". 19 April 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  36. ↑ "Unprecedented Support for the Equality Act". 21 March 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  37. ↑ "LGBTQ Rights Group Reflects On Justice Anthony Kennedy's Retirement". www.kbbi.org. 27 June 2018.
  38. ↑ "HHS reportedly considering a limited definition of gender. Is it legal?". 22 October 2018 – via www.youtube.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.