Kris Hayashi is a left-of-center activist and transgender man who is the current executive director of the Transgender Law Center, a left-of-center public interest law firm that advocates for the rights of transgendered and gender nonconforming people. The Transgender Law Center was founded in 2002 as a project of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and spun off as a separate organization in 2004. Hayashi joined the staff of the organization as deputy executive director in 2013. Hayashi had previously worked for left-of-center advocacy and activism groups including Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) and the Audre Lorde Project (ALP). ^{1 2}

Hayashi has led the Transgender Law Center through its engagement in several notable court cases including a suit against the Trump administration for removing an anti-discrimination clause from Obamacare. ³

Background

Kris Hayashi attended Stanford University and at age 23 became the executive director of left-of-center organizing group Youth United for Community Action in California (YUCA). While leading YUCA, Hayashi directed the organization to organize on behalf of left-of-center environmentalist policies and left-leaning social and racial issues. After five years as executive director at YUCA, Hayashi moved to New York to lead the Audre Lorde Project, an activist organization focusing on community organizing for transgender and gender nonconforming people of color. ^{4 5}

Hayashi was the executive director at the Audre Lorde Project for more than ten years, during which time he helped to create the Trans Day of Action in New York, an annual event held by the organization that lobbies government agencies in New York City, including the City Welfare agency. ^{6 7}

Hayashi also had a one-year stint from 2002 to 2003 working as a trainer and organizer for the Western States Center, an organizing group that promotes far-left social policies in the Pacific Northwest. ^{8 9}

Transgender Law Center

After leaving the Audre Lorde Project, Kris Hayashi joined the Transgender Law Center in Oakland, California in 2013 as the organization’s deputy executive director. He was promoted to executive director in 2015 and has held that position since. Hayashi has led the TLC as it has launched national campaigns supporting broader left-of-center and far-left policies including supporting the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As part of the organization’s anti-immigration enforcement policies, it launched a national campaign called End Trans Detention. ^{10 11}

Under Hayashi’s leadership, the Transgender Law Center has also partnered with far-left groups including Familia Trans Queer Liberation Movement and the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project. ¹²

Hayashi also helped the TLC develop its “Trans Agenda for Liberation” which organizes activists to oppose various bills such as “bathroom bills” seen as unfriendly to transgendered people. He has also helped develop funding collectives such as the Trans Justice Funding Project, the Fund for Trans Generations, Third Wave Fund, Grant Makers United for Trans Communities, and the Black Trans Fund to direct philanthropic giving to advocacy groups such as the TLC that focus on transgender specific issues. ^{13 14}

1. “Kris Hayashi.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 1, 2022.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-hayashi-365891111/
2. “Kris Hayashi.” Transgender Law Center. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/kris-hayashi
3. Yacka-Bible, Sue. “Federal Court Allows Lawsuit Challenging Trump “Rollback Rule” Undermining Healthcare Nondiscrimination Protections to Continue.” Transgender Law Center. August 20, 2021. Accessed March 2, 2022. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/16554
4. “Kris Hayashi.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 1, 2022.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-hayashi-365891111/
5. “Kris Hayashi.” Transgender Law Center. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/kris-hayashi
6. “Kris Hayashi.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 1, 2022.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-hayashi-365891111/
7. “Kris Hayashi.” Transgender Law Center. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/kris-hayashi
8. “Kris Hayashi.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 1, 2022.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-hayashi-365891111/
9. “Kris Hayashi.” Transgender Law Center. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/kris-hayashi
10. “Kris Hayashi.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed March 1, 2022.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-hayashi-365891111/
11. “Kris Hayashi.” Transgender Law Center. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/about/staff-and-board/kris-hayashi
12. “Marissa Tirona Interviews Kris Hayashi of Transgender Law Center.” Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://www.gcir.org/news/marissa-tirona-interviews-kris-hayashi-transgender-law-center
13. “Marissa Tirona Interviews Kris Hayashi of Transgender Law Center.” Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://www.gcir.org/news/marissa-tirona-interviews-kris-hayashi-transgender-law-center
14. “Kris Hayashi.” Funders for Justice. Accessed March 2, 2021.  https://fundersforjustice.org/kris-hayashi/