Draft:Robin Shahar
Robin Shahar | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1963 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Years active | 1991—present |
| Known for |
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| Spouses | |
Robin Shahar (born April 7, 1963) is a Jewish-American attorney. In 1991, Shahar was involved in a landmark case for LGBT rights in the United States after she sued Mike Bowers, the Georgia Attorney General, for rescinding a job offer after he found out she planned to have a same-sex wedding ceremony with her partner under her Jewish faith. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately upheld Bower's decision to rescind Shahar's job offer.
Early life
[edit]Shahar was born on April 7, 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Edward Brown and Belle "Bunny" van Adelsberg (at the time of Shahar's birth, her mother's name was Belle Brown). She has a brother, Scott, as well as a half-sister, Stephanie, and several step-siblings. She was raised in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. Shahar graduated from Tufts University and received her law degree in 1991 from Emory University.[1]
Career
[edit]Shahar v. Bowers
[edit]Bowers had previously been the plantiff in another major LGBTQ-related lawsuit, Bowers v. Hardwick, regarding the constitutionality of Georgia's sodomy law.
During the case, the court accepted Bowers' argument that Shahar's lesbian relationship and upcoming wedding was evidence that she lacked "good sense", and ruled in favor of Bowers.[2]
Atlanta politics
[edit]In 2013, Shahar became Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed's advisor on LGBT rights and issues.[3]
Later career
[edit]As of 2023, Shahar works as a human rights attorney.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Shahar is a lesbian, and came out after graduating from college.[1] Shahar married Fran Greenfield in a Jewish wedding in Atlanta in 1991 (though they were not legally married, as there was no legal gay marriage in the United States at the time).[1] Shahar and Greenfield had two children, Eli and Rosie, who they co-parented with a gay male couple.[1] In 2023, Shahar said of her family arrangement and her children, "My kids have two moms and two dads. We are an unusual family in that way. And at the time that our kids were born, I think having gay or lesbian, just two parents, was unusual, let alone four."[1] Shahar and Greenfield separated in 2009. In 2016, Shahar remarried to Pam Joy. As of 2023, Shahar still resides in Atlanta.[1]
Shahar is Jewish and describes her Jewish faith as "very important" to her.[1]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Not legally recognized.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Langer, Adina (May 23, 2023). "Shahar, Robin". William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ Frost, Cynthia J. (June 1999). "Shahar v. Bowers: That Girl Just Didn't Have Good Sense". Law and Inequality. 17 (1). Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ Editorial board (August 30, 2013). "Meet Robin Shahar, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's new LGBT adviser". Georgia Voice. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
Source list
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