Kelley Robinson, the leader of the Human Rights Campaign, has been named to Time Magazine’s record of the “100 Most Important People of 2024,” marking a major respect for the mind of the nation’s largest Gay rights organization.
Writing for the newspaper, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of the Gay media advocacy business GLAAD, praises Robinson, the second Black gay woman to lead HRC in its history, as having “a vision for a more equitable and really world that, paired with her talent for building coalitions across all intersections, has taken the LGBTQ+ movement — and the larger social-justice movement — by storm when it is most needed.”
Ellis credits Robinson for spearheading campaigns that uplift and center the needs of historically marginalized communities, including queer people of color and transgender people, at a time when state legislatures are passing an onslaught of bills focused on restricting LGBTQ rights and visibility.
“Kelley has a voice that demands to be heard,” Ellis writes. She inspires and mobilizes long-time advocates and new young activists with fresh energy and urgency, whether it is in front of Congress, at a political rally, or over social media.
“She has also brought the LGBTQ+ movement to recognize the critical intersectional work needed on gun reform, racial justice, immigration, voting rights, climate, abortion, and safeguarding our very democracy. Her ultimate goal is freedom for all.”
Being honored by the well-known magazine was, according to Robinson, “humbling beyond words.”
“Being honored alongside the world’s most influential voices is something I never dreamed of growing up young, Black, and queer on the Southside of Chicago,” Robinson said in a statement. I first experienced the devastation of prejudice and bigotry against the LGBTQ+ community at a young age.
This distinction honors me in a way that is reminiscent of the countless brave people who tirelessly fought to make the way for progress, Robinson continued. As the head of the Human Rights Campaign, I carry the stories and struggles of social justice warriors who came before me, demonstrating their bravery in the face of hardship and resistance to being squelched by hatred.”
Robinson noted that there has been significant progress made in the field of LGBTQ rights, but she cautioned that the conflict is still ongoing. In response to the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation that the Republican Party has been pushing in the hopes of using it as a wedge issue in upcoming election cycles, especially this year’s presidential race, the organization declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQ Americans in 2023.
The difficulties that lie ahead are enormous, and the struggle for freedom and liberation is on. We at HRC understand that futures are in danger and that lives depend on it every day, she said.
This recognition surpasses my own. It’s about the power of community. It’s about resilience. It’s about our community’s undying belief that we can build a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow for everyone.”
Robinson joins a host of politicians, business leaders, innovators, artists, and entertainers on the list.
Other LGBTQ luminaries on the 2024 Time 100 include actors Colman Domingo and Elliot Page, fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso, Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist Frank Mugisha, and Sri Lankan LGBTQ rights advocate Rosanna Flamer-Caldera.
