Home of LGBTQ+ advocate Shannon Mintner devastated by tornado
Renowned LGBTQ+ rights lawyer, Shannon Minter, has fallen victim to a devastating tornado that hit his home in rural Texas earlier this week. The Bay Area Reporter reports that the home, which he shares with his wife, Robin, and numerous cats and dogs, has been left beyond repair.
Although Shannon and his cats have been able to stay in a dry part of the house, their dogs are currently staying with a friend. Robin was out of state when the tornado hit but is expected to return to Texas soon.
In response to the tragedy, a friend of the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help them rebuild their home. The friend, known by the Twitter handle Cee Eyes, wrote, “Shannon Minter and his wife Robin have given a loving home to so many stray kitties and pups. … Now it’s time for us to do whatever we can as they begin to rebuild a safe home for the Minter Babies!”
The campaign quickly exceeded its initial goal of $10,000 and is now approaching its new goal of $50,000.
Minter has long been a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, serving as the legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. He was lead counsel in the landmark marriage equality case that resulted in the California Supreme Court recognizing the legal right of same-sex couples to marry in 2008. Although Proposition 8 later overturned the ruling, marriage equality was ultimately restored to California in 2013.
Minter was also the lead attorney in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld student group policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, rejecting the argument that such policies violated a student group’s rights to freedom of speech, religion, and association.
Over the years, Minter has received numerous accolades and awards for his advocacy work, including the Dan Bradley Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Bar Association, the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World award, and the Anderson Prize Foundation’s Creating Change Award from the National LGBTQ Task Force.
Aside from his legal work, Minter is known for his passion for animal rescue, which he frequently documents on his Twitter feed. Friend Katharine Nyhus told the Bay Area Reporter, “Shannon spends his life fighting for marginalized people and taking care of animals, most of which were abandoned. He’s a beautiful soul.”
In response to the tragic event, Christopher Vasquez, a spokesperson for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, stated on behalf of the organization, “Our hearts at NCLR go out to our legal director Shannon Minter, one of the most inspiring and passionate legal minds in the LGBTQ movement. Right now, our thoughts are with him, his wife Robin, and their expansive family of beloved cats and dogs that have provided much-needed light and levity to Twitter through some particularly tough years.”
He added, “We are heartened to see the vast and generous outpouring of support for the Minter family in the last 24 hours through a barrage of messages and two separate GoFundMe campaigns. Shannon is one of the bravest and most resilient individuals we know, and we are positive he will come out of this temporary setback stronger than ever, ready to continue fighting for our community.”
