NOW Mourns the Tragic Loss of LGBT Activist Wanda Alston

March 17, 2005

The National Organization for Women is deeply saddened by the loss of Wanda Alston, former NOW staff member, member of NOW's National Board, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community leader. Alston, 45, was killed in her home by a neighbor on March 16. A lesbian of color, Alston was appointed to direct the newly-established D.C. Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs last September after serving two years as special assistant to the mayor on LGBT affairs.

Alston served as the executive assistant to former NOW president Patricia Ireland and as special projects director at NOW from 1992 to 1996.

"When I met Wanda, she seemed as if she was at loose ends looking for something that would be satisfying and capture her imagination," said Ireland, who remained a friend of Alston. "When she plugged into feminist activism, I think she found a whole new world overall-whether it was LGBT, civil rights, D.C. statehood or electoral politics. She was an organizer like the rest of us and did it to keep her balance in an unjust world."

Alston helped to organize four national marches on Washington and a Fight the Right March in San Francisco and traveled to Beijing, China as part of NOW's delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. She also served as the NOW staff liaison to the National Rainbow Coalition. From 1998 to 2000, she served on the NOW National Board and was a member of the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee that planned the 1998 Women of Color and Allies Summit. Before serving in the D.C. Mayor's office, Alston worked at the Human Rights Campaign as events manager and later established a political consulting firm, Alston Consulting Services, Inc.

NOW President Kim Gandy remembers Alston as someone who "always kept things interesting with her energy and passion." "Wanda had a warm smile and was an in-your-face type of grrl whose energy and enthusiasm for activism was contagious," said NOW Action Vice President Olga Vives.

Alston is survived by her long-time partner, Stacey Long. A memorial service will be held Saturday at noon at Luther Place, 1226 Vermont Ave, in Washington, D.C. The funeral will be on Monday at All Souls Unitarian Church, 1500 Harvard St, NW, Washington, DC.

###

Sign up to receive press releases by email.