Protecting LGBTQ+ rights takes more than challenging discriminatory laws in court. It also means creating and passing good laws and policies that protect our communities before those rights are threatened and building lasting protections that allow LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV to thrive.
That work is at the heart of Lambda Legal’s growing Policy team, led by Deputy Legal Director of Policy Cathryn “Kate” Oakley (she/her). Kate brings more than 14 years of experience at the Human Rights Campaign, where she worked on nondiscrimination, anti-transgender discrimination, and legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. She is joined by staff attorneys Alexandra “Ali” Curd (she/they), who focuses on federal policy and housing justice; Paton Moody (he/him), who brings experience advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and focuses on state policy; and Libby Snyder (she/her), whose state-level work includes LGBTQ+ family protections.
To learn more about the people behind this work, we had a chance to speak with Ali and Libby about what brought them to policy advocacy, what keeps them motivated, and the people and experiences that have shaped their approach to the fight for equality.
Meet Ali Curd
What drew you to policy work?
“I came to my work at Lambda through my work as a housing attorney at a small legal aid organization, where I used my lived experience with homelessness and housing instability to provide trauma-informed and client-centered services in the courts and in legislatures. I worked with system-impacted and unhoused youth and adults in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland to pass policies that would allow people to obtain and remain in housing.
Because LGBTQ+ youth are so overrepresented in statistics around carceral system involvement and homelessness, my clients were often queer and dealing with so many intersecting issues that I knew I wanted to help impact broader systemic change for our community, and help create a world worth fighting for for young people and future generations.”
How does this policy area impact the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV in their everyday lives?
“Federal policy can seem very removed to some and is often made to seem more complicated than it needs to be, but it actually has tons of direct impacts on our community.”
Ali points to programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare as examples of federal policies that directly affect people’s daily lives.
What’s a moment that reminded you why this work matters?
For Ali, it came through Lambda Legal’s case work in U.S. v. Skrmetti and West Virginia v. BPJ. After helping plan Supreme Court rallies and coordinate with movement partners, Ali watched plaintiff Becky Pepper-Jackson emerge from the courthouse to hundreds of people chanting her name and cheering her on.
“This is a teenage girl who has dealt with more jeering and heckling than any of us could imagine, seeing hundreds of people chanting her name and cheering her on.”
Months later, Becky was still “beaming” when Ali spoke with her. “Getting to play a role in her continuing to shine her light made me truly feel how much this matters.”
Meet Libby Snyder
How does state-level policy affect LGBTQ+ people?
“State legislatures control many areas of law that most directly affect people’s everyday lives. Whether it is the establishment of legal parentage, access to reproductive care and gender affirming care, policies related to public education, anti-discrimination laws, etc., many of these laws live and die at the state level.”
“It is crucial to create comprehensive protections for LGBTQ+ people and individuals living with HIV at the state level in every state so everyone can not only survive but thrive.”
Can you tell us about a specific policy or advocacy project that reminded you what drew you to this work?
Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Libby spent seven and a half years at the Uniform Law Commission advocating for adoption of the Uniform Parentage Act (2017), which provides a pathway for families formed through assisted reproduction or surrogacy to have their parentage recognized under state law.
“Knowing that my advocacy helped create secure legal parent-child relationships for LGBTQ+ parents and their children in the 11 states that have adopted the UPA so far gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride in my work that I am excited to bring to Lambda Legal.”
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
Who has shaped your approach to advocacy?
Libby credits Washington State Senator Jamie Pedersen and the late Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, whom she worked with on the UPA, with molding the way she approaches her work.
“They taught me how important it is to stand up for what you believe in and to fight for what is right, to listen to those who may not always be heard, and to persevere because the most difficult work is often the most impactful.”
Building a Stronger Future, Together
Ali and Libby work in different policy areas and bring different experiences to the table. However, their work reflects a shared belief: lasting change requires building protections into the laws and policies that shape people’s lives.
From state legislatures to federal policy, Lambda Legal’s Policy team is working to make equality more than a promise — and to build a future where LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV can live safely, freely, and fully.
Passing good laws is one of the three core goals in Rising Together, Lambda Legal’s five-year strategic plan. Read more about the plan here.