Lydia E. Lavelle is an American academic and politician. She was the mayor of
Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census.North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from b ...
. She was first elected mayor in 2013, after serving on the
Board of Aldermen
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...
of Carrboro for six years from 2007 to 2013. When she was elected, she became the first openly-lesbian mayor in North Carolina. She served on the board of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition and on the North Carolina Commission on Inclusion, to which she was appointed in 2018. As a law professor, she has researched the effects of anti-discrimination laws on LGBT people.
In 2014, she and her wife, Alicia Stemper, were the first gay couple to receive a marriage certificate in
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough.
Orange County is included in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Metrop ...
, after having two previous ceremonies of union prior to the legalization of gay marriage in North Carolina. In 2015, after receiving their marriage certificate, they held a public celebration of their marriage.
Background
Lavelle was born in
Athens, Ohio
Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio Universit ...
, and earned her bachelor's degree from
St. Andrews University
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Ancient university
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followed by a master's in parks and recreation administration from
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
. She worked in parks administration for several years, before earning her J.D. from
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from b ...
North Carolina Court of Appeals
The North Carolina Court of Appeals (in case citation, N.C. Ct. App.) is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating panels of three. The Court of Appeals was created ...
judge from 1993 to 1995, and spent several years in private practice with Kevin Foy, who was mayor of Chapel Hill from 2001 to 2009.
Positions
As a result of her research and her identity, she has led
Carrboro
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census. In response to the passage of
House Bill 2
The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2 or HB2, was a North Carolina statute passed in March 2016 and signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory. The bill amended state law to preempt any anti-discrimination o ...
by the
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
in 2016, the Carrboro Board of Alderman passed resolutions condemning the actions of the state legislature and
Governor Pat McCrory
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...
. After the passage of the resolutions, she prepared a model resolution for other municipalities to use in condemning the bill. She has opposed raids by
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration tha ...
, alongside her counterpart in neighboring
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia
*Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area
Canada
* Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
, Pam Hemminger. She has also expressed an interest in continuing the development of public transportation in the region.
North Carolina Central University School of Law
The North Carolina Central University School of Law (also known as NCCU School of Law or NCCU Law) is the law school associated with North Carolina Central University. The school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the ...