Meet the woman who quietly made sure Democrats became LGBTQ friendly

A lifelong activist, Nancy Wolforth got her start at 16, traveling south to do voter registration work. Since then she has marched, organized and been arrested for civil, human, and worker rights, all while maintaining an insistent voice for social and economic justice.

Wohlforth dedicated her career in the labor movement to advocate for equality for LGBTQ workers. She all but singlehandedly made labor unions LGBTQ friendly and used her influence as a labor leader to make Democrats more progressive on LGBTQ issues.

If Democrats wanted support from organized labor, Wohlforth wanted support for LGBTQ rights. And she was the woman in the position to make it happen. As a high profile union leader at the Office and Professional Employees International Union, her voice was instrumental in getting labor support for Democrats.

She was a founding member of the Lesbian and Gay Labor Alliance in 1980 and is a National President Emerita of Pride at Work, the national organization for LGBTQ working people founded by Nancy and others in 1994.

Despite her retirement, Wohlforth remains active in Pride at Work and is geared up for the November election. In a recent interview, she was excited about the midterm elections.

Wohlforth says the upcoming elections are the most crucial we’ve seen in a long time.

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