Lala B Holston-Zannell
Senior Campaign Strategist @ACLU
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WORK HISTORY
Senior Campaign Strategist @ACLU
New York, NY, US
Leads Trans Justice Campaigns: Spearheads national campaigns focused on advancing the rights, wellbeing, and dignity of transgender and nonbinary people.Policy & Legislative Advocacy: As a former chair of the Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) policy committee, helped pass Intro 541 in New York City, targeting unconstitutional NYPD search practices.Data-Driven Empowerment: Created New York City’s first Trans Discrimination Survey to document employment discrimination against trans individuals; findings were shared publicly with city officials and community groups.National Platforms & Testimony: Made history as the first trans woman to address a White House briefing during Women’s History Month and testified at Congress’ first forum on violence against transgender people.Community Leadership: Drawing on my previous role as Lead Organizer at the NYC Anti‑Violence Project, continues grassroots outreach, coalition‑building, and public advocacy for trans lives. Impact HighlightsElevated trans visibility at the highest levels of government and policymaking.Influenced police reform and transgender employment protections in major cities.Amplified lived experiences of trans and nonbinary individuals to shape equitable policies.
ABOUT LALA B HOLSTON-ZANNELL
LaLa B Zannell is an advocate, organizer, and artist working towards liberation for transgender and nonbinary communities, with a particular focus on trans women of color and trans sex workers. LaLa has years of experience working in organizing and advocacy spaces, such as with the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) where she served as the Lead Organizer doing advocacy, outreach, and networking on behalf of LGBTQ New Yorkers who have experienced violence. She has also organized and held a vigil for National and local trans community members.Through her work with National Coalition of Anti- Violence Programs (NCAVP), she was instrumental on how the lives of trans women of color are talked about in the media today and worked with media outlets to change how the report on trans lives stories in the media. Having served as a former chair of the policy and working group committee for Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), LaLa was part of passing Intro 541 which addresses unconstitutional searches by the NYPD. Alongside her policing work, she lobbied the NYC City Council for a policing bill and created the first Trans Discrimination Survey in New York City to collect data on trans people’s experiences in employment. The findings were released in City Hall Park alongside City Council officials and TGNC leaders. LaLa is a gifted public speaker and speechwriter; she spoke at the White House for the first Women’s History Month briefing that included trans women, the last briefing on transgender people under the Obama administration, and testified at the first Congressional forum on violence against transgender people. In 2015, she was featured on the Trans 100 list. She has also published her writing in USA Today, NBC News, Out Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Leisure Studies, and many other publications. Her many television appearances include The Samantha B Show, Democracy Now, Trevor Noah and more. She has been interviewed on various podcast such as Translash, The LGTBQ Nation, The Takeaway, Let’s Get Back to Queer, Marsha’s Plate and Politicly Re- Active. She is a co-producer of her own feature film and documentary called LaLa’s World and has received numerous awards and government proclamations. LaLa is also an entrepreneur, having founded T Times Three Jewelry company led by Trans activist and author Cecila Gentili and fashion designer GoGo Graham, who are three trans women of color. LaLa currently leads the ACLU’s advocacy and organizing work to support and empower transgender and nonbinary people.
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