黑料社

When Michael Lawlor, J.D., talks to first-year students in the University鈥檚 UNCommon course, he encourages them to be their true selves. The class was developed so students across the University could explore critical issues facing the world, while reflecting on their own 黑料社s and biases.

鈥淟earning to be my authentic self was a hard lesson I had to learn 25 years ago, and I share that story with my students,鈥� Lawlor said.

He tells them about when he was in high school, and he was captain of the football team and the prom king. He became a prosecutor and legislator but always there was an essential part of his life that he did not share publicly or with very many people at all 鈥� that he was gay.

When a newspaper outed him, 鈥淚 was so worried about what people鈥檚 reactions would be 鈥� people who knew me from my work, people who knew me for decades in my hometown,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ould this somehow change everything? And it didn鈥檛 which was good.鈥�

He saw that people knew him as Mike, their legislator, their neighbor, and their friend. It was then that he decided he had to live his life genuinely and fully.

鈥淢y story is similar to millions of people鈥檚 stories who, by living their lives, change the minds of people around them,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople who may have never met someone who they knew to be gay or someone who was in a gay marriage would say, 鈥榃ell, you know Mike Lawlor seems like a normal guy, and he鈥檚 in a gay marriage.鈥� It鈥檚 the personal connection that creates awareness. It鈥檚 what I tell LGBTQ+ students: they are the best messengers. It鈥檚 important for them to share their stories.鈥�

鈥榁ulnerable people are typically scapegoats鈥�

Lawlor has been passionate about politics since he was a boy, and he said he has always cared deeply that all people鈥檚 rights are protected and valued. 鈥淰ulnerable people are typically scapegoats, and they have been throughout history,鈥� he said. 鈥淪caring people about other people who are different is a longstanding political tactic.鈥�

Through 24 years as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and as former Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy鈥檚 undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning, Lawlor championed civil rights causes on behalf of LGBTQ+ community, fighting for civil unions and gay marriage. He took on leadership roles in criminal-justice reform efforts, including establishing rights for crime victims, juvenile justice, bail, and drug policy reforms as well as initiatives that addressed racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

At the University, he teaches a new generation of students who plan to work in fields such as policing, national security, and forensics, discussing with them the importance of thinking widely, considering other perspectives, and being themselves.

For his lifetime of work on behalf of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Prof. Lawlor was honored by at its annual Connecticut Cares event, one of the organization鈥檚 largest fundraisers that was attended by , , legislators, judges, and local luminaries.

鈥業t鈥檚 incredible to see how far we鈥檝e come鈥�

Prof. Lawlor said he was 鈥渉onored to be recognized by Lambda Legal. It is so incredible to see how far we have come, from a country that did not allow same-sex marriage anywhere, to legalizing it in Connecticut, to the current efforts today. While there is still so much more work to be done and so much anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to defend against, I鈥檓 optimistic thanks to the work of Lambda Legal."

鈥淚 think that in 10 years, there will be greater understanding about gender identity, and I think the young people, like the students at our University, will lead us there,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nderstanding takes time, but if we learn about people and see who they are, that鈥檚 where change happens.鈥�

鈥淢ike鈥檚 leadership in legalizing same-sex marriage in Connecticut will forever be remembered for its historic nature,鈥� said Lamba Legal CEO Kevin Jennings. 鈥淣ot only was Connecticut just the second state to establish same-sex civil unions and only the third state to legalize marriage equality, but it was the first to do either without a court order.鈥�

Prof. Lawlor married his husband in 2013 and today, he said, his life is 鈥渏ust as boring as other married couples. We have a 16-year-old son, a dog, and a house. We travel together.鈥�

鈥淲e are kind of a modern family 鈥� my husband鈥檚 ex-wife, our son鈥檚 mother, lives down the street,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 think that if people keep their minds open and get to know each other, they will just see people living their lives and not hurting anyone.

鈥淎fter all, the first words in the Declaration of Independence are, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,鈥欌�� Prof. Lawlor continued. 鈥淎s an American, you get to live your life and pursue what makes you happy.鈥�