For the first time, an openly gay man has been elected to head the Temple University Beasley School of Law Alumni Association.
Larry Felzer, 53, was elected to the position June 8 during the association’s annual meeting after serving as the president-elect of the organization’s executive board for the past two years. Prior to that position, Felzer sat on the executive committee board for 13 years.
Making the president position official represented a vote of confidence from his fellow board members, Felzer said.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” the Philadelphia native said. “I’m a little nervous, but I have been working with the association for a long time now. We are going to accomplish a lot.”
Felzer, who graduated from the law school in 1994 and also earned his undergraduate business degree from Temple, said his title as the first out man to helm the organization sends a clear message to his fellow alumni and future Temple law-school students.
“I didn’t think much of it at first, but more and more people kept telling me how important this was,” Felzer said. “I realize now that we are sending a strong message to fellow alum and potential law students that we are inclusive and support diversity.”
During his speech at the annual meeting last Monday, Felzer spoke about the challenges attorneys in Pennsylvania face because of the lack of a state-level LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination law. He also spoke personally about being gay and the coming-out process.
“I can only speak for myself, but the coming-out process is a lifelong process,” he told PGN, noting that aspect of his identity has made him more attuned to the needs of marginalized groups, which could be helpful in his new position. “I need to make the decision to come out to people around me on almost a daily basis. I would like to think that being a gay man makes me more sensitive to the concerns and needs of other minority groups, because I know what it’s like to be treated differently because of something you were born with.”
Felzer’s primary responsibilities include working with the association’s board and creating and managing a diverse lineup of alumni programming.
“We have events every other month or so for a variety of interest groups. We also run continuing legal-education events and in the fall we produce a swearing-in ceremony for grads that pass the bar,” Felzer said. “We are also preparing for our 100th anniversary in October. We are going to have a big gala.”
As for an LGBT-related event, Felzer said he’s eager to have an LGBT Temple Law Alumni Association table at the monthly GayBINGO! event.
“We had an LGBT night a couple years ago, but it’s very important to me to have an LGBT person as part of the discussion when planning events going forward. I volunteer at GayBINGO!, so I think that could be a great place to start.”
Felzer said he has two major goals for the association: diversity and service.
“I really want to focus on diversity in terms of helping fellow alums, acting as mentors and letting people know about job opportunities,” he said. “And for service, I want to be doing projects helping vulnerable individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford an attorney.”
Felzer has worked for the SeniorLaw Center, a nonprofit legal-services organization providing assistance to seniors throughout the state, for the past 12 years. He currently serves as director of development and finance.