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Sean Kosofsky, Director of Policy, has been active in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community since early 1994. Since he began this work, he has become one of the most visible, recognizable and accomplished GLBT activists in Michigan, and is known nationally for his work.

Kosofsky is the most sought-after GLBT diversity trainer in Michigan for law enforcement professionals, but he also has extensive experience training social workers, school professionals, attorneys, business professionals and service providers. Kosofsky conducts trainings on critical activist skills such as message development, media advocacy, lobbying, grassroots activism and youth/student advocacy.

Kosofsky joined the staff of Triangle Foundation in the fall of 1996. He has been responsible for a wide range of projects including the Anti-Violence Project, a statewide network of grassroots activists who monitor the media, communicate with policy makers and appear as public speakers.

Currently Kosofsky works at every level of public and private policy development in Michigan to advance pro-GLBT policies and defeat anti-GLBT legal and political attacks. He has an extensive political background working on everything from running canvass operations, to fundraising and media. He is responsible for producing many of Triangle's issue papers, talking points and other policy materials.

Kosofsky is on the board of the Equality Federation, the largest GLBT lobbying and activist entity in the nation. As a board member of the Equality Federation he is responsible for helping to build, lead and support state and local GLBT activism. He works closely with national leaders and colleagues in every state and territory in the U.S. to bring about equality for GLBT people.

Kosofsky has received several awards from the GLBT community, including the 1997 Rising Star award and the 2002 Prism Award, as well as the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council.

Kosofsky first became active in grassroots and political organizing in high school, working on candidate and issue-centered campaigns. He founded Students Acting For the Environment (SAFE) and after graduating began working full-time on clean water and consumer rights efforts for the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM). Kosofsky rose quickly in the ranks at PIRGIM from canvasser to Field Manager and eventually to Assistant Campaign Director, where he co-directed the grassroots fundraising, media advocacy and lobbying activities for the organization’s Metro Detroit/Royal Oak Campaign Office.

For three years in the mid-90s Kosofsky ran the daily operations for the youth group at Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center in Ferndale, Michigan, as a volunteer. As a peer-educator, peer-counselor and member of the speaker's bureau, Kosofsky was principally responsible for working among GLBT youth in the areas of suicide, substance abuse and HIV prevention. He also worked with GLBT youth groups around the country to enhance service provision. In 1996, he joined the staff at Affirmations as the Youth Assistant.

Kosofsky is a graduate of Oakland University with a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Communications. During his four years at Oakland University, Kosofsky co-directed the GLBT student group Pride Forum, which succeeded in getting the term "sexual orientation" added to the University's Equal Opportunity Policy. Kosofsky co-founded the Queer Metro Collegiate Coalition (Q=MC2), a coalition of Metro Detroit area GLBT college groups. The coalition produced drug/substance-free social events for GLBT youth in the Detroit area.

Kosofsky is currently a fellow with the Michigan Political Leaders Fellowship, a project of the Center for Progressive Leadership. Kosofsky served on the Board of the Oakland County ACLU from 1999-2005 and currently serves on the Executive Committee of Michigan's 12th Congressional District Democratic Party. He lives with his partner Michael in Oak Park, Michigan where he has been appointed for two consecutive terms by the Mayor and City Council to the city’s Ethnic Advisory Commission.

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