Alfredo Tapia
Alfredo graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science and Legal Studies. While at Berkeley, Alfredo was a member of "Yque" and "Queer & Asian", two minority-based LGBT organizations. Through his membership, he was able to provide support to students having difficulty coming out to their friends and families. He was also involved with "Queer Diversion" and made great efforts to spread LGBT awareness both on and off campus.
Since becoming an LGBT Rights Fellow at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Alfredo has been active in the community. He has volunteered with the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Community Center, joined the Human Rights Campaign Long Island Committee to support candidates that are allies or members of the LGBT community, helped the law firm of Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP to create a documentary showing the negative impact that a single law like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or the "Defense Of Marriage Act" can have on the LGBT community, and is currently a member of FIERCE, an LGBT youth organization that develops politically conscious leaders who are invested in improving themselves and their communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and cultural expression through arts and media.
Alfredo has interned with the Urban Justice Center-Peter Cicchino Youth Project, an organization that provides direct legal services to LGBT youth who are homeless or in foster care. He also interned with Lambda Legal, where he conducted intakes and connected the community to legal resources and assisted with an amicus brief.
Elanie Cintron
Elanie attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, she volunteered at El Centro Latino, a nonprofit organization devoted to the integration and education of Latinos, and NC PRIDE.
After graduating from UNC, Elanie continued to work for equality, organizing unions in Boston, working with minorities in the service industry, and advocating for fair labor conditions. She then accepted a position as a Production Manager in Chapel Hill, where she used her experiences in Boston as tools to manage a staff of 100-150 employees. As Production Manager, Elanie was devoted to empower staff and worked alongside the US Committee for Refugees to help their clients integrate in the states.
Elanie was invited by the ACLU to speak at a school board meeting in her hometown of Rowan County, which prohibited the formation of Gay Straight Alliance Groups in public schools. The school board reversed their decision, reaffirming Elanie's commitment to LGBT advocacy.
As a Fellow, Elanie has interned with Immigration Equality. She is currently the Co-President of OutLaw and a staff member on the Family Court Review.
Jenelle DeVits
Jenelle was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She attained her Bachelors of Science from The University of New Hampshire, where she was a member of the Division I varsity women's basketball team, walking on as a freshman and working her way to becoming a two-year scholarship athlete. During her athletic career, Jenelle became involved in advocating for LGBT student-athletes, earning her the honor of serving as the undergraduate representative on the President's Commission on LGBT Issues. She facilitated Safe Zone trainings throughout campus and within the athletic department. As a facilitator, she was able to educate and train numerous faculty, staff, and students about LGBT issues.
Jenelle had a crucial role in the development and founding of Our Group, a national organization that provides networking forums, outreach, and other educative tools for LGBT student-athletes. Through her work with the Our Group, Jenelle has presented at Ithaca College's Sport, Culture, and Sexuality Conference, was a panelist on "A Coaches Guide to Effective Policy and Practice Addressing Homophobia in Collegiate Women's Basketball" at the 2010 Women's Basketball Coaching Association conference in San Antonio, TX, and was a panelist at the IvyQ Conference at Columbia University. Jenelle is also an Advisory Board Member for GLSEN's Sports Project.
After graduating from UNH, Jenelle worked full time as a Life Skills Coach in a group home that provides services to adults with mental health issues and developmental disabilities. Jenelle plans to use her law degree to continue her work advocating for human rights, specifically on behalf of the LGBT community.
Stevie Tran
Stevie graduated from Arizona State University with a major in Political Science, minors in Women and Gender Studies, as well as Japanese, and a LGBT Studies Certificate. Stevie became involved in LGBT rights advocacy during college as an intern with Equality Arizona. Through her involvement with the organization, she was selected as one of the Equality Federation Institute's first Leadership Development Program Interns. Stevie has also been actively involved in the fraternity and sorority community, creating opportunities to develop leaders and men of character in the LGBT community. She is an alumni member of Sigma Phi Beta Fraternity, the only exclusively college-based queer-focused fraternity nationwide.
Stevie spent her first summer at Hofstra Law interning at the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (“TLDEF”), an organization committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts. Stevie hopes to use her legal education to expand access and opportunities for transgender people in all areas of life.
Erin Thorn
Erin graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a major in Social Psychology and a minor in German. During her senior year at Lehigh, Erin’s thesis on the division of work in lesbian-headed households received the Donald T. Campbell prize for Social Science research.
While a student at Lehigh, Erin worked to create a more inclusive campus culture. She served as a peer educator on LGBT issues and volunteered in Lehigh University’s Rainbow Room. She participated in discussions with the Lehigh’s administration on increasing the visibility of all minority groups on campus and in WAVES, a feminist dialogue group. Erin was the president of SPECTRUM, a student organization dedicated to providing support, social opportunities, educational outreach and social change for LGBTQIA individuals and the community. In addition to her work with the LGBT community, Erin participated in the Lehigh Prison Project, tutoring female inmates preparing to test for their High School Equivalency Diploma.
