{{short description|American LGBTQ rights activist (1986–2014)}} {{Infobox person |name = Andrew Cray |image = Andrew Cray.jpg |birth_date = {{birth date |1986|6|11}} |birth_place = Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age |2014|8|28|1986|6|11}} |death_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |political_party = Democratic |spouse = {{marriage|Sarah McBride|2014}} |education = Northwestern University (BA)<br/>University of Michigan (JD) |relatives = Seymour Cray (grandfather) }} '''Andrew S. Cray''' (June 11, 1986 – August 28, 2014)<ref>{{cite web|title=Andrew S. Cray Obituary|url=http://chippewa.com/news/local/obituaries/andrew-s-cray/article_fb787c13-44d9-59d9-a289-73d74877e1d2.html|website=Chippewa.com|date=4 September 2014 |publisher=The Chippewa Herald|accessdate=28 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906212753/https://chippewa.com/news/local/obituaries/andrew-s-cray/article_fb787c13-44d9-59d9-a289-73d74877e1d2.html|archive-date=6 Sep 2014|url-access=limited}}</ref> was an American LGBTQ rights activist and political figure. Cray played a central role in securing new nationwide LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections as part of the Affordable Care Act, partnering with the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to create the Out2Enroll initiative to connect LGBTQ people with health insurance coverage options,<ref>{{cite web|title=Andy Cray and His Life's Work|url=https://transgenderequality.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/andy-cray-and-his-lifes-work/|publisher=National Center for Transgender Equality|date=30 August 2014}}</ref> as well as assisting with the passage of the HOPE Act to make organ donation and transplantation more accessible to people with HIV, and drafting new provisions addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth for the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act.<ref name=ThinkProgress/>
== Early life and education == Andrew Cray was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Steven and Ardis Cray.<ref name=northby>{{cite news|last1=An|first1=Jenny|title=From Andrea to Andy|url=http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/andy-cray/|accessdate=4 February 2018|issue=5 June 2004|publisher=North by Northwestern|archive-date=10 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210201217/http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/andy-cray/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was the grandson of Seymour Cray, the founder of Cray Research.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Columnist |first=John Andersen |date=2023-06-20 |title=Andrew Cray stood up for justice |url=https://lacrossetribune.com/chp/opinion/columnists/john-andersen-andrew-cray-stood-up-for-justice/article_8d3cad5e-097c-11ee-8089-0fe4d0f597a6.html |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=La Crosse Tribune |language=en}}</ref> Cray was valedictorian of the Chippewa Falls High School Class of 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hage|first1=Jeffrey|title=Chi-Hi graduates take last long step|url=http://chippewa.com/news/chi-hi-graduates-take-last-long-step/article_91a251b1-9468-5618-a8ce-5e4f91aca9a5.html|accessdate=28 January 2018|issue=5 June 2004|publisher=The Chippewa Herald}}</ref> In addition to achieving high marks academically, he was a multi-instrument musician who played the drums, clarinet, keyboard and trombone. Cray was student director of the school concert band and a recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award.
After graduating from high school, he received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. During his time at Northwestern, Cray was the activism chair for Rainbow Alliance.
==Career== After coming out as a transgender man during college, Cray began his career as a legal fellow and policy analyst with the National Coalition for LGBT Health, where he served as the lead researcher and author of the coalition's comprehensive report on LGBTQ veterans’ health. Cray served as a Law Fellow at the National LGBTQ Task Force in 2009, where he was tasked with writing recommendations for inclusion in the health reform legislation being debated in the United States Congress. Cray then became a health law and policy fellow at the National Center for Transgender Equality, where he advocated for access to affordable, high-quality health care for transgender people. Andrew was a founding member of Trans Legal Advocates of Washington, which trains attorneys on transgender legal issues and operates pro bono legal clinics for transgender clients.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |first=Patrick |last=Paschall |title= In Memory of Transgender Healthcare Advocate Andrew Cray |url= http://www.thetaskforce.org/in-memory-of-transgender-healthcare-advocate-andrew-cray/ |date= September 2, 2014 |work= National LGBTQ Task Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910193245/http://www.thetaskforce.org/in-memory-of-transgender-healthcare-advocate-andrew-cray/ |archive-date= September 10, 2015 |url-status= dead}}</ref>
Beginning in 2012, Cray served as a Policy Analyst for the Center for American Progress's LGBTQ Research and Communications Project. Cray's research focused on LGBTQ inclusion and engagement in state implementation of the Affordable Care Act, health insurance policies that improve coverage for LGBTQ families, LGBTQ-inclusive data collection, and LGBTQ youth.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cray|first1=Andrew|title=The Affordable Care Act and LGBT Families: Everything You Need to Know|url=https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/reports/2013/05/23/64225/the-affordable-care-act-and-lgbt-families-everything-you-need-to-know/|website=The Center for American Progress|accessdate=28 January 2018}}</ref> Cray spearheaded efforts to obtain transgender-inclusive health insurance policies in several U.S. states and the District of Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor Vincent Gray Thanks Andy Cray - In memory of Andy Cray, 1986-2014| date=29 August 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nti9TuFqsek|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=28 January 2018}}</ref> Among his federal policy work, Cray played a critical role as a founder of Out2Enroll, a nationwide initiative that connects LGBTQ people and their families with health insurance coverage options.<ref name=ThinkProgress>{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Kellen|title=Remembering LGBT Health Advocate Andrew Cray|url=https://thinkprogress.org/remembering-lgbt-health-advocate-andrew-cray-4ec7c8b9eb64/|accessdate=28 January 2018|publisher=ThinkProgress|date=2 September 2014}}</ref>
Cray participated in an event at the White House to celebrate the enrollment of more than 8 million people into health insurance following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Cray received a standing ovation from attendees. Paulette Aniskoff, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said Cray's contributions to the Affordable Care Act were integral to the successful implementation of the law.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Chris|title=Andrew Cray remembered for contributions to LGBT health|url=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/09/03/andrew-cray-remembered-for-contributions-to-lgbt-health/|accessdate=28 January 2018|publisher=Washington Blade|date=3 September 2014}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== On August 24, 2014, after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, Cray married LGBTQ rights activist Sarah McBride, who is also transgender.<ref name= forever/> Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson presided at their ceremony.<ref name= forever/> Four days after their wedding, Cray died from oral cancer.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cray|first1=Andrew|title=Op-ed: No One Is Invincible|url=https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/03/13/op-ed-no-one-invincible|accessdate=28 January 2018|publisher=Advocate|date=13 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="forever">{{cite news |last=McBride |first=Sarah |date=25 August 2015 |title=Forever And Ever: Losing My Husband At 24 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-mcbride/forever-and-ever-losing-my-husband-at-24_b_8038600.html |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |work=The Huffington Post}}</ref>
==Legacy== In October 2014, President Barack Obama posthumously honored Cray as a "Champion of Change" for his contributions to LGBTQ health.<ref>{{cite news|title=STATEMENT: CAP President Neera Tanden on White House Naming Andrew Cray a Champion of Change|url=https://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement/2014/10/20/99380/statement-cap-president-neera-tanden-on-white-house-naming-andrew-cray-a-champion-of-change/|accessdate=28 January 2018|agency=Center for American Progress|date=20 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Archive: Champions of Change - Andrew Cray|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/aca-champions-of-change/andrew-cray|accessdate=28 January 2018|agency=The White House}}</ref> In 2014, the National Center for Transgender Equality created a Law Fellowship and Award in Honor of Cray.<ref>{{cite web|title=NCTE Announces Law Fellowship and Award in Honor of Andrew Cray|url=https://transequality.org/blog/ncte-announces-law-fellowship-and-award-in-honor-of-andrew-cray|website=National Center for Transgender Equality|date=10 December 2014|accessdate=28 January 2018|archive-date=28 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128132719/https://transequality.org/blog/ncte-announces-law-fellowship-and-award-in-honor-of-andrew-cray|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016, a scholarship fund in Cray's name (The Andrew Cray Memorial Scholarship, now the Andrew Cray High Education Fund<ref>{{cite web |title=Scholarship |url=https://www.cvlgbt.org/scholarship |website=Chippewa Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center |access-date=4 May 2026}}</ref>) was created to support post-secondary opportunities for LGBTQ youth in Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wheeler |first1=Emma |title=Andrew Cray Memorial Scholarship launched for local LGBTQ youth |url=https://www.wqow.com/story/34326555/2017/01/monday/andrew-cray-memorial-scholarship-launched-for-local-lgbtq-youth/ |accessdate=28 January 2018 |publisher=WQOW-ABC |date=23 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128132828/https://www.wqow.com/story/34326555/2017/01/monday/andrew-cray-memorial-scholarship-launched-for-local-lgbtq-youth/ |archive-date=28 January 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hebert |first1=Neil |title=Benefit held for Andrew Cray Memorial Scholarship |url=https://www.weau.com/content/news/Benefit-held-for-Andrew-Cray-Memorial-Scholarship-414769793.html |accessdate=28 January 2018 |publisher=WEAU 13 News |date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226203943/https://www.weau.com/content/news/Benefit-held-for-Andrew-Cray-Memorial-Scholarship-414769793.html |archive-date=26 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cray, Andrew}} Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American male writers Category:American transgender writers Category:American LGBTQ lawyers Category:American LGBTQ rights activists Category:American transgender rights activists Category:Civil rights activists from Washington, D.C. Category:LGBTQ rights activists from Wisconsin Category:American transgender men Andrew Category:Deaths from oral cancer in Maryland Category:LGBTQ people from Wisconsin Category:Northwestern University alumni Category:Transgender law in the United States Category:Transgender male writers Category:University of Michigan Law School alumni Category:1986 births Category:2014 deaths