Kenneth Upton appointed to position made possible with $1 million grant from Alphawood Foundation Chicago
Lambda Legal is proud to announce the appointment of Kenneth Upton as the organization’s inaugural Senior Counsel and First Amendment Strategist, based in the Midwest Regional Office in Chicago. This newly created position was made possible through a generous multiyear grant of $1 million from Alphawood Foundation Chicago to bolster Lambda Legal’s efforts to defend LGBTQ+ rights against the misuse of First Amendment claims and protect America’s separation of church and state.
“We are immensely grateful to Alphawood Foundation Chicago for their support of Kenneth Upton’s vital work,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal. “As we face increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights under the guise of religious freedom, this gift will allow us to hire our first attorney dedicated to First Amendment protections and strengthen our ability to fight back against discrimination by upholding the constitutional principles of equality and secularism.”
Kenneth Upton joins Lambda Legal after serving for five years as Senior Litigation Counsel for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, where he litigated against religious extremists and their lawmaker allies attacking freedom in America. His work included challenging regulations allowing healthcare providers to refuse care based on religious beliefs, opposing taxpayer funding of discriminatory religious charter schools, and defending policies requiring school clubs not to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students.
“Alphawood Foundation Chicago is thrilled to support the new Senior Counsel position and Lambda Legal’s work defending the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and families,” said Chirag Badlani, Executive Director. “We are grateful Kenneth has rejoined Lambda Legal’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago and will use his experience to protect the First Amendment rights of the LGBTQ+ community and all those living with HIV.”
Prior to his recent return, Upton spent over 13 years–from 2005 to 2018–at Lambda Legal’s South Central Regional Office in Dallas, Texas, where he appeared in more than fifty cases involving issues such as marriage equality, parental rights, workplace discrimination, and HIV discrimination. He has served on the governing council of the LGBT Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and received the Norman W. Black Award in recognition of his significant contributions to LGBTQ+ legal issues.
“I am honored to rejoin Lambda Legal and grateful to Alphawood Foundation Chicago,” said Kenneth Upton. “This gift will enable us to mount a more robust defense against those who seek to weaponize the First Amendment to undermine and erode and LGBTQ+ rights and freedom for all Americans.”
Lambda Legal has been at the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights for over 50 years as a national legal nonprofit organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. Lambda Legal’s lawyers have won precedent-setting civil rights cases on everything from marriage equality to gender identity to health care discrimination. Through education, advocacy, and legal action, Lambda Legal strives to protect and advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for a society that embraces diversity and inclusivity.