For years, LGBTQ women have led the way in breaking lavender ceilings to attain elected office. From Tammy Baldwin to Annise Parker to Kate Brown, the first LGBTQ U.S. senators, major city mayors, and state governors have all been women. LGBTQ women were again at the forefront in 2018’s “Rainbow Wave,” picking up a second U.S. Senate seat, three seats in the House, and a second state attorney general’s office. LPAC, the only organization dedicated to building the political power of LGBTQ women, has conducted new research into the political profile of LGBTQ women. What drives them to run for office, and what has enabled them to see so much success? Attendees will come away with a fresh, comprehensive understanding of this cohort, which is only growing in importance politically.
Speakers: Christina Cauterucci, Courtney Mott, Lisa Turner
CHRISTINA CAUTERUCCI is a staff writer at Slate, where she covers gender, politics and culture. She hosts “The Waves,” a podcast about women and feminism and “Outward,” a podcast about LGBTQ culture. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, HuffPost, Washington City Paper and NPR. A two-time Georgetown University graduate, Cauterucci lives in Washington, D.C.
COURTNEY MOTT serves as the Director of the Victory Campaign Board at LGBTQ Victory Fund where she works to elect LGBTQ candidates up and down the ballot. LGBTQ representation has been a cornerstone of her career. Prior to joining Victory Fund, Courtney worked at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce where she served as the Manager of Affiliate Relations, External Affairs, & Policy. In this role, Courtney engaged key stakeholders including the White House and Federal agencies and managed relationships with NGLCC’s 44 affiliate chambers across the country. She received a Master’s in Public Policy and Women’s Studies from The George Washington University and a B.A. in International Relations from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. A native Tennessean, Courtney grew up in Nashville and now lives outside of Washington, D.C.
LISA TURNER is a former White House political appointee. She served in the Obama Administration as the associate commissioner for external affairs for the Food and Drug Administration and as the chief communications officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. In 2018, Turner became LPAC’s national political director, where she has built the committee’s electoral structure and the award-winning independent expenditure operation that has helped elect U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema, as well as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. This cycle, she has led the creation and launch of Project LPAC as the senior director of research and political engagement. Her career has focused on improving people’s lives through her work in politics. For over 25 years, she has been the president of the The Turner Group, Ltd., a campaign-consulting firm where her portfolio has spanned political innovation, strategy and media advising to candidates, community leaders, philanthropists and national committees.