Growing up in the Manhattan suburb of Cresskill, New Jersey, 2L Taylor Largmann faced discrimination in his community as he was coming out, even as he embraced the integrity and importance of public service instilled in him by his family.
The great-grandson of an Italian immigrant and the grandson of a World War II veteran, Largmann became disillusioned with military service, despite having two cousins who entered the U.S. Naval Academy. The military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy made him “feel inferior, precluding my public service at least in this form,” he shares. He credits the experience of one of his cousins, a military veteran who served the U.S. in conflicts overseas, for placing Largmann on a path to social justice.
Last month, Largmann was recognized for his advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community with a Kidder Award. The awards seeks to “honor those who, through their scholarship, leadership, or outstanding efforts, foster greater understanding of sexual orientation and gender expression at the University of New Hampshire.” Largmann received a $1,500 scholarship as part of the accolade. He is the third member of the UNH Franklin Pierce community to receive the honor, joining late Professor Marcus Hurn and current Professor Jon Cavicchi.
At UNH Franklin Pierce, Largmann is a board member of the Diversity Coalition and serves as president of Lambda, a student organization that advocates for and serves the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community at the law school. Through the leadership of Largmann and others, the group re-established itself on campus after a hiatus and has lobbied the law school to implement DEI training; recruit and retain diverse students, faculty, and administration; implement an inclusive curriculum; and much more. In March, Lambda was successful in petitioning the administration to display a pride flag in the Jury Box, the campus café. With the help of the law library staff, Lambda put together an intersectional book display available throughout “Gaypril,” UNH’s celebration of the more traditional Pride month, which occurs in June. Largmann is grateful for the support of faculty advisor Professor John Orcutt in embracing Lambda’s social justice endeavors.
The nomination language for the Kidder Award asks: “Do you know a person or organization that promotes empowerment and inclusion?” Largmann is the embodiment of both, and has stepped beyond the campus of UNH Law in pursuit of awareness, inclusion, and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. Outside of his work at the law school, Largmann has testified against two hateful bills before the New Hampshire State Legislature: H.B. 1077, which seek the repeal on the prohibition on conversion therapy, and H.B. 1080, which seek the state recognition of biological sex.
“Perhaps because, in addition to aiming for transparency and accountability in our quest for progress, I have moved the ball forward and delivered measurable outcomes,” Largmann says when asked why he believes he was selected for the Kidder Award. “I appreciate this recognition, as the Kidder Award is a great honor to UNH alum William Kidder and all other queer revolutionaries. Mostly, this accolade signifies that people are paying attention, and I hope they are because, in many ways, the work has only just begun. I hope to be the person I needed when I was younger and will continue to mobilize, organize, and vocalize in support of No More Fake Allies — a broader movement across the nation — in pursuit of the late-Representative John Lewis’s ‘good trouble.’”
