Fighting the Good Fight...
Tricia Kakalec does not shrink from confrontation.
In her role as Executive Director of the Workers’ Rights Law Center in Kingston, she often finds herself fighting the good fight: she sues discriminatory employers, battles government bureaucrats, and labors to obtain justice for her working-class clients. Kakalec is about to undertake an even newer, greater role with her recent appointment by Kingston Mayor James Sottile, as the first openly gay member of the Kingston Human Rights Commission.
“I’m curious about how it will go,” says Kakalec. “Working within government is a new thing for me. I have strong opinions, but I’m excited to work cooperatively with people. How to pull that together will be interesting.”
Kakalec’s appointment comes at a time when LGBTQ matters are gaining attention throughout the region. And, according to Kakalec, that attention is resulting in wider government support. “The mayor [of Kingston] wants the LGBTQ community to know of openings on commissions and committees,” says Kakalec, who notes that her interactions with county legislators have also been supportive.
Those involved with the Center project know that the commission is lucky to have her. Kakalec has played a key role in the development of the Center, providing many hours of pro bono legal work and completing the complex application forms for the group’s 501(c)3 non-profit tax status. Kakalec notes that the Center’s 501(c)3 status will permit the Center to attempt to influence legislation “within limits.” Says Kakalec, “I feel strongly about having the ability to take political stands [on LGBTQ issues].”
Also of passionate concern to Kakalec is the Center’s ability to pull all the people within the Hudson Valley LGBTQ community together. “I’ve been impressed at how sensitive the organizers are to diversity,” says Kakalec, who notes that she’s witnessed concern for youth, seniors, people of color, and the Hispanic community.
Tricia envisions the Center ultimately being able to respond to the needs of these diverse populations with services such as tax preparation and legal services for low-income LGBTQ people. The Center will provide senior citizen activities, youth groups, workshops on health topics of particular concern to the community, counseling, social work services, and committees working on public policy matters.
“One of the most important things the Center can do is reflect the needs of the whole community,” says Kakalec. This way, the Center can ultimately provide a “touchpoint” for those outside of the community and in government, giving them “a place to speak to the community.” She believes this will help to keep the government responsive to the needs of LGBTQ people.
Kakalec already sees one need to bring to the Human Rights commission: educating people about the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) passed in 2002. Otherwise, Kakalec is open to whatever her new role brings. “I’m enthusiastic,” she says. And we’re enthusiastic, too. We know that her ability to embrace a wide array of people–as she does in her professional work and her volunteer work for the Center–will be of great benefit to the commission. We wish her the best of luck in this new role!
- Douglas Muller