HONOREE
KRISTEN BROWDE
ATTORNEY, BROWDE LAW, & BOARD PRESIDENT, LGBT BAR ASSOCIATION
OF GREATER NEW YORK
Kristen Browde is an attorney by day, but her work in that capacity
represents only a glimpse into the life of a change-maker who has made
a difference in numerous ways over the course of the last several decades.
Still, Kristen’s career as a lawyer is no small feat: She successfully launched her own law fi rm, Browde Law, which helps corporations
as well as individuals seeking legal assistance regarding divorces. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, she has continued to serve
her clients diligently.
Kristen’s legal career represents a major shift from her previous work in journalism. She spent 17 years as a correspondent and
anchor at CBS News, covering the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, and overseas wars in a career that brought her multiple Emmy
Awards. Kristen was still at CBS when she attended law school, a move that wound up laying the foundation for her own law fi rm.
At the 2016 Inner Circle Dinner, an annual gathering of New York journalists, Kristen came out as transgender, setting up a new
chapter in both her life and her career. She went on to assist Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president and to advocate against North
Carolina’s transphobic HB2 bathroom bill, among other key political initiatives.
Kristen has also become a key player in the local political world. She narrowly lost her bid for the Democratic nomination for
State Assembly this year when she sought to replace Assemblymember David Buchwald in the 93rd Assembly District in Westchester
County, falling short by less than 200 votes. Still, she was hailed for an admirable and historic campaign as she sought to become
the fi rst out transgender member of the New York State Legislature.
During her campaign, Kristen told Gay City News that one of the key reasons why she opted to run for offi ce was to fi ght the
ongoing rash of gun violence across the US, especially at a time when her son is in high school.
“It occurred to me that these kids are growing up in an era in which they’re worrying about whether they would be next,” Kristen
said. “It is still easier in the State of New York to get a high-powered weapon than it is to buy a pack of Sudafed — and that’s just
wrong.”
Kristen has been active and highly visible in other New York political efforts. She sat next to Governor Andrew Cuomo last year
at an event in which the governor highlighted his support for the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and for reform of New
York’s gestational surrogacy laws. GENDA was enacted shortly after that event, and though the surrogacy measure initially hit
roadblocks it was enacted this year as part of the April 1 budget package.
Among other posts, Kristen is the board president of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York and co-chair of the National
Trans Bar Association.
A resident of Chappaqua, Kristen has two children.
Gay City News Impact Awards 2020 15