Cheryl Jacques

Cheryl Ann Jacques
Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex district
In office 1993–2004
Preceded by	David H. Locke
Succeeded by	Scott Brown
Personal details
Born	February 17, 1962
Alma mater	Boston College, Suffolk University Law School
Website	cheryljacques.org

Cheryl Ann Jacques (born February 17, 1962) is a United States politician who, beginning in January 2004, served for 11 months as president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, advocacy organization. It was as the leader of the nation's LGBT communities that Jacques addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

She resigned on November 30, 2004, citing "a difference in management philosophy" with her board, following criticism of the HRC's failure to defeat referendums in 11 states banning same-sex marriage and, in some cases, civil unions.^[1]

Previous to her work with the organization, Jacques was one of the first openly lesbian members of the Massachusetts State Legislature, serving six terms from 1992 in the Massachusetts Senate. There, she became the first woman and first freshman legislator to chair the judiciary committee. Before her legislative career, she was Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County and Assistant Attorney General of the state. She ran for U.S. Congress, but lost in the democratic primary to Stephen Lynch.

Currently, Jacques writes and speaks nationally on issues of diversity, civil rights and politics. She is Of Counsel to the law firm of Brody, Hardoon, Perkins and Kesten, and is a consultant on diversity issues to corporations and non-profit organizations.

Jacques graduated from Boston College in 1984 and received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1987. She resides in Newton, Massachusetts with her wife, Jennifer Chrisler, and their twin sons, Timmy and Tommy. She was also an official political commentator for Q Television until its demise in 2006, appearing weekly with her own segment called Political IQ.

References

1. ^ Jacques, Cheryl (January 8, 2005), "Former gay rights leader Jacques speaks out", The Advocate, http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid02931.asp, retrieved 2007-11-06 

External links

• HRC biography (archive link, was dead)
• Interview in The Advocate magazine
• Metro Weekly interview series

Persondata
Name	Jacques, Cheryl
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 17, 1962
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death