Named position, funded by philanthropist Eileen Amy Ryan, honors the memory of her late sister-in-law and beloved ally, Elayne Cassidy Nicholas
Lambda Legal is proud to announce that it has named Counsel Carl Charles the Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights, a position established through a $1 million gift from philanthropist Eileen Amy Ryan. The position honors the memory of Elayne Cassidy Nicholas, Eileen’s late sister-in-law and one of the first people to whom Eileen entrusted her truth, whose boundless love, acceptance, and affirmation became a model of allyship for the transgender community.
Charles has spent his career at Lambda Legal fighting to secure and expand federal civil rights protections for transgender and nonbinary people in courtrooms, statehouses, and federal agencies. His litigation has challenged discriminatory bans on transgender girls and women in school sports, state and employer exclusions of gender-affirming medical care from health insurance and the Trump administration’s policy denying transgender citizens accurate passports. The named position ensures that Lambda Legal’s transgender and nonbinary rights docket is anchored by dedicated, senior-level legal leadership at a time of unprecedented legislative and judicial attacks on the community.
“The story of Elayne Cassidy Nicholas is a story every transgender person deserves to have in their own life, the story of someone who says, without hesitation: you are safe here, I am in your corner, nothing you share will change my love for you,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal. “That kind of radical acceptance is exactly what this work is about. Eileen Amy Ryan’s decision to honor Elayne’s memory through this position is a profound and deeply moving act of love. Having Carl Charles carry that name into every brief and every courtroom means this legacy will be felt in the lives of transgender and nonbinary people across this country for years to come.”
“To carry Elayne Cassidy Nicholas’s name into this work is to carry a reminder of why it matters: that behind every case is a person who simply wants to live their truth and be seen, accepted, and loved for who they are,” said Carl Charles, Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights at Lambda Legal. “Transgender and nonbinary people are under relentless attack from all directions right now. Every case we bring, every protection we defend, is a declaration that this community belongs, fully and without condition. I am honored to do this work in Elayne’s memory and in partnership with Eileen’s extraordinary vision and generosity.”
“Elayne was my dear sister-in-law, the one I went to first in my journey,” said Eileen Amy Ryan. “Before I could even find the words to share something deeply personal and vulnerable with her, she already opened the door. She told me, ‘We must live our truths or live less than whole – I mean every word – I am utterly in your court 100% no matter what.’ I will never forget that moment. She was my safe oasis. She showed me what it means to be an ally. Naming this position in her memory is my way of saying that every transgender person deserves someone like Elayne in their corner. Lambda Legal fights every day to build a world where it isn’t rare for LGBTQ+ people to belong. It’s the law. I am grateful to Lambda Legal, and especially to Carl, for ensuring that Elayne’s spirit lives on in this work.”
The $1 million gift from Eileen Amy Ryan establishes the Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights and reflects Eileen’s deeply personal commitment to the transgender community. Eileen, who is transgender herself, has made Lambda Legal’s transgender rights work a central pillar of her philanthropy. Her 2024 gift of $1.5 million established the Eileen A. Ryan Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary & Transgender Rights Project, a position currently held by Whit Washington. The Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel represents a continuation of that investment and a tribute to the woman whose unconditional love first showed Eileen what full acceptance looks like.