Kelsey Waits (she/they) is the Research and Policy Specialist for the Council. She has experience advocating for LGBTQIA2S+ supportive policy at all levels of government from her local school board to the White House. Kelsey loves taking part in the political process and empowering community members to do the same. She formerly served as her local School Board Chair where she led her district in unanimously passing policies related to gender inclusion and racial equity. Kelsey has also lobbied at the state level for a ban on conversion therapy and testified in support of the Equal Rights Amendment and the Trans Refuge Bill. 

 

Kelsey holds a master’s in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and she is currently working to complete her PhD where her dissertation will focus on the effects of anti-transgender policies on the LGBTQIA2S+ population. Kelsey also holds a master’s degree in Statistics from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wellesley College.

 

Kelsey lives with her family on a small farm in the east metro. She has two kids, four dogs, eight alpacas, and far too many bunnies. When Kelsey needs a break from politics, she works on her fiber art, frequently creating patterns related to her LGBTQIA2S+ identity.