Reggie Greer is a public engagement strategist and LGBTQI+ advocate who most recently served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Senior Advisor to Jessica Stern, the Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, at the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as White House Director of Priority Placement and Senior Advisor on LGBTQ+ Engagement for President Joe Biden as well as National LGBTQ+ Engagement Director on the 2020 Biden-Harris Campaign. Reggie joined the Biden-Harris campaign after serving as LGBTQ Victory Institute’s first-ever Constituent Engagement Director where he supported LGBTQ+ elected and appointed leaders around the country.
Prior to joining Victory Institute, Reggie served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Reggie began his tenure at USDOT as a special assistant to Secretary Anthony R. Foxx. In 2009, Reggie received his Bachelor of Arts in Government and History from Georgetown University, having concentrated his studies in education and social policy. Reggie is a native of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Research Summary: The global LGBTQI+ movement has reached a perilous crossroad. Anti-rights actors - here in the U.S. and across the globe - are using LGBTQI+ issues, especially transgender issues, to sow division, undermine democratic principles, and distract people from other critical issues. In the United States, officials in Washington and scores of legislators nationwide are working to strip LGBTQI+ individuals of nondiscrimination, healthcare, education, and other legal protections that provide safety and security under the law. And, across the globe, instances of discrimination and violence are ticking up and anti-LGBTQI+ bills are proliferating at an alarming rate – bills that further criminalize homosexuality, impose heavy penalties, and restrict freedoms of association and expression. The LGBTQI+ Policy Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School would seek to explore fundamental questions around the politics surrounding LGBTQI+ issues, policy implementation, and movement strategy. This first-of-its-kind policy lab would seek to complement the work of LGBTQI+ human rights defenders and organizations globally and serve as a think-tank for the LGBTQI+ movement where experts and leaders can safely share best practices, policy messaging, and research.