Public Employee Press

LAGIC founder Regina Shavers is mourned by DC 37

Activism was part of Regina Shavers’ birthright. Born in Brooklyn in 1941 to parents deeply entrenched in a tradition of community involvement, Shavers led a life of commitment to the causes she cared about, starting with her union. She died Jan. 29.

Lenora Gates, executive vice president of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, met Shavers when their mothers were union members together at Kings County Hospital.

“Against all odds, she played a pioneering role in establishing and co-chairing the DC 37 Lesbian and Gay Issues Committee. She always brought her unique passion to the task at hand. She will be missed by all those whose lives she touched,” said Gates. For many years, Shavers represented her co-workers at the NYPD Call Center as a Local 1549 shop steward.

In 1991, Shavers graduated with honors from Hunter College. In 1993, she became the assistant director of the HIV Training Institute at the Health Dept., where programs she established were instrumental in training hundreds of HIV/AIDS professionals citywide. After she retired in 2000, Shavers set up the GRIOT Circle to address the needs of lesbian and gay elders of color.

Shavers loved to sing. She was a member of the Lavender Light gospel choir. She was a mother, a grandmother, and the lifelong partner of the Rev. Janyce Jackson. At her funeral Feb. 2, the choir performed a rousing tribute to Shavers.