Urvashi Vaid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Urvashi Vaid
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| Born | 8 October 1958 New Delhi, India
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| Died | 14 May 2022 (aged 63) New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Vassar College (BA) Northeastern University (JD) |
| Known for | Civil rights and anti-war activism |
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Notable work
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Virtual Equality (1996) |
| Partner(s) | Kate Clinton (1988-2022) |
| Relatives | Alok Vaid-Menon (nibling) |
Urvashi Vaid (born 8 October 1958 – died 14 May 2022) was an amazing person who worked hard for fairness and rights. She was born in India and became an American LGBT rights activist, a lawyer, and a writer. She was very good at understanding laws about gender and worked as a helper to achieve social justice.
Urvashi Vaid held many important jobs at the National LGBTQ Task Force. She wrote two important books: Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation (1995) and Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics (2012).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Urvashi Vaid was born on 8 October 1958, in New Delhi, India. When she was eight years old, her family moved to Potsdam, New York, in the United States. Her father became a university teacher there.
Even at a young age, Urvashi cared about important issues. When she was just 11, she joined the movement against the Vietnam War. Later, at Vassar College, she was very active in many groups that worked for political and social causes.
She went on to study law at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. She earned her law degree in 1983. While there, she started the Boston Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance. This group helped interview and support political candidates who cared about the gay community in Boston.
Working for Change
Urvashi Vaid spent her life working to make the world a fairer place. She led a group called the Vaid Group LLC. This group helped people and organizations who were trying to fix unfairness based on who someone loves, their gender, their race, or how much money they have.
From 2011 to 2015, she was a director at Columbia Law School. She also spent ten years working for large organizations that give money to good causes. She was the Executive Director of the Arcus Foundation and a leader at the Ford Foundation. She also served on the board of the Gill Foundation.
Urvashi Vaid also started LPAC in 2012. This was the first political action committee focused on helping lesbian candidates and issues. It has given millions of dollars to candidates who support social justice.
Her Work at the National LGBTQ Task Force
For over ten years, Urvashi Vaid worked at the National LGBTQ Task Force (NGLTF). This is the oldest national organization fighting for LGBT civil rights. She started as their media director. Then, from 1989 to 1992, she was the executive director. She also led their research group, the Policy Institute.
While she was executive director, Urvashi Vaid was very brave. She once interrupted a press conference by President George H. W. Bush. She held up a sign that said, "Talk Is Cheap, AIDS Funding Is Not." This was to demand more money to help people with AIDS. She also helped start the Task Force's "Creating Change" conference.
Before joining NGLTF, from 1983 to 1986, Urvashi Vaid worked as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). There, she started work on health issues for people in prisons.
Fighting for Fairness
Urvashi Vaid strongly believed that true equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people would happen only when society's bigger systems changed. She felt that families and other groups needed to be more welcoming to everyone, no matter their race, gender, or money.
Her book, Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation (1995), won an award in 1996. In this book, she talked about how the LGBT movement could become more mainstream.
Urvashi Vaid's second book, Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics (2012), looked at how the main LGBT movement sometimes didn't pay enough attention to race and gender. She argued that working for social justice for everyone would help all parts of the LGBT community achieve true fairness.
She once said that her biggest worry was that LGBT communities might focus too much on winning the fight for marriage equality. She hoped they would not slow down their work for other important changes. She wanted a movement that included everyone, no matter their background, age, or abilities.
Urvashi Vaid had two main hopes for the future of LGBT communities. First, she wanted them to help the less powerful members of their community. This included LGBT people with lower incomes, transgender people, women, children, and older gay people. Second, she hoped the LGBT community would use its power to create a fairer society for everyone.
Personal Life
Urvashi Vaid lived in Manhattan and Provincetown, Massachusetts, with her partner, the comedian Kate Clinton. They were together from 1988 until Urvashi's death.
Urvashi Vaid passed away at her home on 14 May 2022, after battling cancer. She was the aunt of Alok Vaid-Menon, a writer and artist who is known for their work on gender.
Awards and Recognition
Urvashi Vaid received many awards for her important work:
- 1996: Stonewall Book Awards
- 1996: Lambda Liberty Award from Lambda Legal
- 1997: Civil Rights Leadership Award from Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund
- 1999: Honorary Degree from City University of New York, Queens College of Law
- 2002: Honoring With Pride Award from American Foundation for AIDS Research
- 2006: Dan Bradley Award from National Lesbian and Gay Law Association
- 2008: Lifetime Achievement Award from Gay Men's Health Crisis
- 2010: Ken Dawson Advocacy Award from Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders
- 2010: Kessler Award for LGBTQ Studies from CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies
- 2013: Over The Rainbow project award from American Library Association for her book Irresistible Revolution
- 2014: Social Justice Action Award from Columbia Teachers College, Columbia University
- 2014: Spirit of Justice Award from GLAD
- 2015: Honorary Degree from Kalamazoo College
