The Most Powerful Lesbian Moms in America 2013

Out magazine just published its seventh annual “Power List” of the most powerful gay people in America, which means it’s time for my seventh annual list of The Most Powerful Lesbian Moms in America—as seen, I’m thrilled to say, in the New York Times.

I started this list back in 2007, as a response to the very few women on Out’s list. If I could come up with over 100 powerful people who were not only women, but also moms, I thought, surely they could include more women overall. (This year, only 11 of their 50 are women.)

The definition of “power” is subjective, of course. For the purposes of this list, I considered it to mean someone who is known by a large cross-section of the population, within or outside the lesbian community, is at or near the top of her chosen profession, or is in some other way a well-known personality and long-time influencer.  I aimed for inclusion rather than exclusion, but tried to pick those whose impact in their fields or in the world at large is widespread and lasting. I intend this to be a fun list celebrating the many talents of lesbian moms, not to be taken too seriously, so let me know if I’ve missed anyone you deem worthy.

I’ve included the names of partners, even if one person is not as well known, in order to acknowledge the contributions of both people to their families and to each others’ achievements. I may have missed a few partners, however, if their names are not public, and blurred matters if one partner came along when the children were older. I was not able to find last names and professions for a few others. Someday, I’ll be able to hire that research staff.

Anyone I missed? Can you help fill in gaps in the information (partners’ names and/or professions, if public; breakups or new partners; job changes)? Leave a comment (with a link to your source, if possible). (Helpful note: Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Maddow are both powerful lesbians, but neither has kids.)

I’ll also add that we must each define success for ourselves. It may mean choosing to stay home with one’s children, or to forgo career advancement for the sake of one’s family. I’ve done that myself. I think there’s no harm, though—and quite a bit of inspiration—in recognizing those who have achieved in both career and family.

Of course, the thing about motherhood is that your kids always think you’re the most powerful mom(s) in the world, and their opinions are the ones that really matter.

In alphabetic, not rank, order by last name of the generally more well known partner:

• Roberta Achtenberg, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the first openly lesbian or gay public official appointed to a Senate-confirmed position (as as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
• Alison Adler, TV producer
• Diane Anderson-Minshall, author; editor in chief of the Advocate magazine
• Judy Appel, executive director of Our Family Coalition, the San Francisco Bay Area organization supporting LGBTQ families, and partner
• Susan Arnold, former vice chair and president of global business units at Proctor & Gamble, and Diana Salter
• Meredith Baxter, actor, and Nancy Locke, general contractor
• Amanda Bearse, actor and director
• Elizabeth Birch, LGBT-rights advocate and former head of HRC
• Mary Bonauto, GLAD Civil Rights Project Director, and Jennifer Wriggens, law professor, University of Maine
• Lisa Brummel, senior vice president for human resources, Microsoft
• Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and Eva Kolodner, film producer (Boys Don’t Cry)
• Beth Callaghan, co-founder of Our Chart; director of Web operations, for technology site All Things D, and former editor-in-chief of PlanetOut
• Greta Cammermeyer, Colonel, Washington National Guard (retired) and LGBT-rights activist, and Diane Divelbess, artist
• Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Margaret Conway, president of Conway Strategic
• Kelli Carpenter, founder of R Family Vacations, and Anne Steele, cabaret singer
• Jane Castor, police chief of Tampa, Florida
• Ilene Chaiken, creator and executive producer of The L Word, and Miggi Hood, architect (The couple is no longer together.)
• Debra Chasnoff, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker
• Mary Cheney, public relations executive, political campaigner, and vice-presidential daughter, and Heather Poe, former U.S. Park Ranger
• Staceyann Chin, poet and performing artist
• Lisa Cholodenko, film director, and Wendy Melvoin, musician
• Cathy Connolly, Wyoming state representative and women’s studies professor at the University of Wyoming
• Cat Cora, “Iron Chef,” and Jennifer Cora
• Judy Dlugacz, founder and president of Olivia travel company
• Karla Drenner, Georgia state representative
• Amy Errett, partner, Maveron (a venture capital firm), former CEO of Olivia, former chief asset gathering officer, E*Trade, and Clare
• Melissa Etheridge, musician
• Jodie Foster, actor, and Cydney Bernard, film producer (The couple is no longer together.)
• Jenny Fulle, founder, The Creative-Cartel, former executive vice president of production and executive producer of Sony Pictures Imageworks, and pioneer in opening up Little League to girls
• Sara Gilbert, actor, and Linda Perry, musician and producer
• Judy Gold, stand-up comedian and two-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of The Rosie O’Donnell Show
• Janee Harteau, Minneapolis police chief, and Holly Keegel, Minneapolis police officer
• Lisa Henderson, general manager, Olivia, and partner
• Sue Hyde, director of Creating Change at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• Delores A. Jacobs, chief executive officer of The San Diego LGBT Community Center, and Heather Berberet
• Nina Jacobson, film producer, currently CEO at Color Force (Diary of a Wimpy Kid; The Hunger Games), and formerly president of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
• Cheryl Jacques, administrative judge for the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, former head of HRC, and former Massachusetts State Senator, and Jennifer Chrisler, vice president of alumnae relations, Smith College, and former executive director of the Family Equality Council
• Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and Gina Calvelli, attorney
• Jolie Justus, Missouri state senator, and Shonda Garrison
• Ellen Kahn, Family Project director for the Human Rights Campaign, and partner
• Elaine Kaplan, acting director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and nominee for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Sandy Holmes, attorney
• Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, senior rabbi at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, the largest LGBT congregation in the world
• Honey Labrador, designer, television personality, and former model, and Nikki Flux, actor
• Annie Leibowitz, photographer
• Barbara Lenk, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Debra Krupp, attorney
• Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project and professor at Western New England College School of Law
• Dr. Susan Love, president and medical director of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, and leader of the breast cancer advocacy movement, and Dr. Helen Cooksey, surgeon
• Jane Lynch, actor, and Lara Embry, psychologist
• Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin (d. August 2008), activists
• Jenna Lyons, president and executive creative director, J. Crew, and Courtney Crangi, jeweler
• Mary Beth Maxwell, senior advisor, U.S. Department of Labor and founding Executive Director of American Rights at Work
• Robin McGehee, professor and LGBT activist, and Kathy Adams, professor
• Kelly McGillis, actor, and Melanie Leis, sales executive
• Sabrina McKenna, associate justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court (and the only Asian American lesbian on a state high court), and Denise Yamashiro, public school teacher
• Tammy Lynn Michaels, actor
• Susan Miller, executive producer/writer of Anyone But Me, Guggenheim Fellow and two-time Obie award-winning playwright
• Mary Carolyn Morgan, judge of the San Francisco County Superior Court
• Sherri Murrell, head coach of Portland State University, and the only out coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball
• Alison Nathan, Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and Meg Satterthwaite, law professor
• Cynthia Nixon, actor, and Christine Marinoni, education activist
• Rosie O’Donnell, actor and television personality, and Michelle Rounds, executive-search consultant
• Annise Parker, mayor of Houston, Texas, and Kathy Hubbard
• Nancy Polikoff, professor of law at American University
• Jen Rainin, founding partner of lesbian travel company Sweet and president of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and Frances Stevens, editor in chief of Curve magazine
• Cathy Renna, managing partner, Renna Communications
• Hilary Rosen, political commentator and former head of the Recording Industry of America (RIAA)
• E. Denise Simmons, city councilor and former mayor, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Mattie Hayes
• Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, and Andrea Smith, executive director of Green Florida
• Kara Swisher, Wall Street Journal columnist, co-executive editor of technology site All Things D, and Megan Smith, vice president of new business development at Google
• Sheryl Swoopes, professional basketball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist, and Alisa Scott, former basketball player and coach (The couple is no longer together; Swoopes is engaged to Chris Unclesho.)
• Wanda Sykes, comedian, and Alex
• Gina Trapani, founder of Lifehacker, app developer, and writer, and spouse
• Christine Vachon, film producer, and Marlene McCarty, graphic designer
• Linda Villarosa, author, journalist, public speaker, former editor of the New York Times and former executive editor of Essence magazine, and Jana Welch, marketing executive
• Karen Williams, comic
• Marie Wilson, founder and president of The White House Project, co-creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and former president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and Nancy Lee
• Jenna Wolfe, host of NBC’s Today show, and Stephanie Gosk, NBC News correspondent (Technically, they’re not due until August, but I’ll be forward thinking and list them.)
• Chely Wright, singer, and Lauren Blitzer-Wright, director of marketing at Sony Music Entertainment