Terra Russell-Slavin, Esq., is the Director of the Policy and Community Building Department at the world's largest LGBT organization, the Los Angeles LGBT Center (“Center”). In this capacity, Terra works to advance LGBT civil and human rights in accordance with the Center's mission to build a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal and complete members of society. Terra's focus includes advocating for increased social services and non-discrimination protections for the LGBT community, including LGBT seniors, youth, and survivors of violence, and defending against anti-transgender initiatives. Prior to this position, Terra was the Center’s Lead Staff Attorney where she was responsible for overseeing the delivery of comprehensive and holistic legal services for LGBT survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Terra is the co-chair of the LGBT Subject Matter Committee of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and was a leader in the efforts to obtain the first ever non-discrimination provisions in federal law based on sexual orientation and gender identity as part of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. She has written various articles on LGBT domestic violence, serves on numerous committees and workgroups, and is a frequent presenter at conferences on LGBT anti-violence issues. Terra received the Los Angeles County Betty Fisher Award for phenomenal leadership in the field of domestic violence and has been recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association as a Best Attorney Under 40. Terra is a graduate of Pitzer College and Northeastern University School of Law.