Kierra Johnson

Kierra Johnson
Kierra Johnson, a woman with brown skin, is looking to her left with a neutral expression. She wears a large black knit cap and a long-sleeved black shirt with the logo of the National LGBTQ Task Force and the number 50.
Johnson in 2023
Born1976 or 1977 (age 49–50)
Valdosta, Georgia, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder
OccupationActivist
EmployerNational LGBTQ Task Force
TitlePresident

Kierra Johnson (born 1976 or 1977) is an American LGBTQ rights activist. She serves as president of the National LGBTQ Task Force, the first Black woman to head the organization.

Early life and education

Johnson was born in Valdosta, Georgia. The daughter of an Air Force service member, she moved during her childhood to Atlanta and Colorado. She sang in the choir at the DeKalb School of the Arts of Avondale High School in Georgia, and continued to sing in a traveling choir after moving to Colorado.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, Johnson was elected student body president. She joined a competitive debate club, which helped hone her skill in public speaking. She joined the Black student union, and organized on issues including tuition, tenure and retention for faculty and students of color, and divestment from corporations. During her senior year in 1999, she co-coordinated Black Awareness Month.

Career

Johnson became interested in activism for gender equity and reproductive rights when her sister became pregnant at the age of 16. Johnson would continue her activist work in these areas for 20 years. In 1999, she received training at the Gloria Steinem Leadership Institute, then began working for Choice USA the following year. She later became executive director of the organization, which was renamed to Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE). She served as a delegate for Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

In 2010, Johnson joined the board of directors of the National LGBTQ Task Force. In 2018, she became its deputy executive director. In 2020, Johnson was named as the next executive director of the organization, succeeding Rea Carey in February 2021 and becoming the first Black woman to head the organization.

Honors and recognition

Personal life

Johnson is bisexual and pansexual. She goes by she and they pronouns. She has three children.

References

  1. 1 2 "Beth Zemsky and Kierra Johnson". StoryCorps. January 26, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cooper, Alex (October 16, 2025). "The 2025 Out100: Kierra Johnson". Out. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ Reberkenny, Joe (January 27, 2026). "Task Force urges renewed organizing amid growing political threats". Washington Blade. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Sprayregen, Molly (September 23, 2020). "Kierra Johnson will become the first Black executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Riley, John (January 25, 2021). "Task Force's new leader Kierra Johnson on the future of the LGBTQ movement". Metro Weekly. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Angyal, Chloe (February 20, 2010). "The Feministing Five: Kierra Johnson". Feministing. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Black Awareness Month 1999 Features Variety Of Events At CU". CU Boulder Today. University of Colorado Boulder. February 2, 1999.
  8. 1 2 "URGE's Kierra Johnson on the Women's March and the power of youth". Ford Foundation. January 20, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Rudolph, Dana (May 5, 2021). "The Task Force's Kierra Johnson on motherhood and more". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Edgar B. (2008). "Full Interview Transcripts: 2008 Political Conventions". Ed Anderson's Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 Damante, Becca (March 15, 2021). "Kierra Johnson Redefines the Movement for the National LGBTQ Task Force". Tagg Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "Rea Carey stepping down as executive director of The Task Force". Dallas Voice. September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People of 2023". Washingtonian. April 27, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People of 2024". Washingtonian. May 2, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  15. ↑ Ballard, Tymia (May 28, 2025). "Excellence Ascending: GLAAD Celebrates Black LGBTQ Legacy at BET's Black + Iconic Soirée". GLAAD. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Task Force President Kierra Johnson Honored at BET Black + Iconic Soirée". National LGBTQ Task Force. June 6, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  17. ↑ Hayden, John (June 10, 2026). "This Year, Pride Month Started In May". OutSFL. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Kierra Johnson". National LGBTQ Task Force. Retrieved September 28, 2026.