M.V. Lee Badgett

M. V. Lee Badgett is a Williams Distinguished Scholar at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law and an expert on family policy issues and labor market discrimination based on sexual orientation, race and gender. Badgett has written a book examining the U.S. and European experiences with marriage equality for gay couples, particularly the economic impacts. Her first book, “Money, Myths, and Change: The Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay Men,” presented her groundbreaking work debunking the myth of gay affluence.

Badgett’s policy-related work includes testifying as an expert witness in legislative matters and litigation, analyzing public policies, consulting with regulatory bodies, briefing policymakers, writing op-ed pieces, speaking with journalists and advising businesses. She is also the director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as well as a professor of economics.