Compassion & Choices is committed to raising awareness around the healthcare disparities and barriers that the LGBTQ+ community faces. We created the LGBTQ+ Leadership Council to build partnerships with LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations to help educate and empower LGBTQ+ Americans to chart their own end-of-life care journey.
Stella Dawson (She/Her)
Stella Dawson is a journalist, whose work focuses on poverty, economics, corruption and human rights. Her wife Mary Klein was instrumental in passage of medical aid-in-dying legislation in Washington, D.C. Stella has worked with C&C for over five years.Phil Duran (He/Him)
Phil Duran, Senior Advocate for Aging & Gender Care Access, oversees Rainbow Health Minnesota’s advocacy and research programs, including its Aging Initiative and community research. As an experienced attorney and civil rights advocate, Phil also assists our legal team with cases in the areas of trans health and human rights. He has been a member of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and Transgender Issues Workgroup, and of Governor Mark Dayton’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying. He was a founding board member of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association and served as the first out president of the Minnesota State Bar Association, where he remains a member of its Health Law Section.Carrie Framsted (She/Her)
My name is Carrie Framsted. I live in Grand Marais, MN. I lost my wife on 2/15/20 to Pancreatic Cancer. She lived only eight months after diagnosis after which I became involved with C&C. I am now a co-leader for the Arrowhead Action Team to educate our community and legislators about MN's end-of-life options. I am now aware that family, friends and our community need to understand what happens when one is dying. To have the language to discuss it, support to help along the way and normalize options like palliative care and hospice to aid in a good death.Allyne Hammer (She/Her/Ella)
Allyne Hammer is a long time Labor, LGBTQ+ and Women's Rights Activist. She is a fierce advocate for patient-directed care and medical aid in dying. She has been involved in the Death with Dignity movement for more that 40 years. She currently leads the Compassion & Choices Santa Cruz Action Team and also helps facilitate Death Cafes for Hospice of Santa Cruz County.Blake Oshiro (He/Him)
Blake Oshiro served in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives from 2000-2011 where he was Majority Leader for three years. From 2011–2014, he served as the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff with a specific oversight of all matters pertaining to policy and the state executive budget. He was the Governors’s lead person in dealing with the state legislature, the county governments and the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation. Blake currently works in government relations and advocacy with Capitol Consultants of Hawai‘i.Kelly Rice (They/Them)
With over 20 years of experience within health care and social service settings, Kelly is a frequent speaker on topics of LGBTQ aging, advance care planning, end of life, and workforce development. They have presented at the American Society on Aging, National LGBTQ Health, UIC Minority Health, DePaul University Health Disparities & Social Justice, and AllianceChicago conferences, among others. Kelly has contributed to the body of literature focusing on LGBTQ aging issues, including publication in the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, as well as, a chapter in the book, Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Health and Aging.
Kelly is an active member in the Chicago LGBTQ community and serves on several committees and boards, including the Chicago LGBT Aging Network, Chicago Bisexual Health Taskforce, and the American Society on Aging (ASA) LGBT Aging Issues Network (LAIN) Council. Kelly received their Master’s in Public Health and Bachelor’s of Arts in Women’s Studies and Sociology at DePaul University.
