LGBTQ Notary Association
LGBTQ Notary Association
LGBTQ Notary Association (abbreviated as LGBTQ-NA) is a grassroots, member-driven directory and professional network for LGBTQ-friendly notaries operating across the United States. It was founded in 2021 by notary public Zara Shea following a wave of reports and personal experience involving discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ clients, particularly those who are transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex, during notarial services. It is the first known national organization and directory focused exclusively on inclusive notarial services for the LGBTQ+ community.
Founding and Mission
The association was created in response to widespread instances of clients being misgendered, denied service, or subjected to bias while seeking notarial services—especially in matters involving name and gender marker changes, adoption, divorce, and estate planning. Founder Zara Shea began outreach using the platform TweetDeck, where she directly connected with members of the LGBTQ+ community to better understand their experiences.
LGBTQ-NA’s mission is to provide affirming, respectful, and safe notarial services for all clients, with an emphasis on protecting those most vulnerable to discrimination. The organization also seeks to unite both LGBTQ+ and allied notaries who pledge to serve with impartiality and inclusion. Its values include a strong distinction between impartiality—anchored in constitutional fairness—and neutrality, which the organization asserts can mask inaction or silence.
Structure and Membership
LGBTQ-NA is currently a grassroots, volunteer-based initiative with aspirations of becoming a nonprofit organization. It envisions a future in which notaries may be paid through nonprofit funds to offer free notarial services to those in need.
Membership opens annually during Pride season each June. While a certification is not yet required, the association is developing a training program called the Notarial Impartiality Standard Certification, which will be offered free to current members. Future applicants will be required to complete the certification prior to joining. Members must pledge full inclusion and demonstrate no animosity toward LGBTQ+ people—including those who are transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex.
Services
The association offers a public-facing national directory of LGBTQ-friendly notaries, including those who also offer apostille services, wedding officiation, and other multi-service options. If no notary is available in a given area, the site directs clients to verified virtual notaries. This hybrid model ensures nationwide access to affirming notarial services.
Members receive tiered benefits, including a six-month subscription to the Legacy Vault platform for one-year donors, and a lifetime subscription for those in the two- and four-year tiers. Legacy Vault services are provided in partnership with LGBTQ-NA representative Dean Easton-Williams.
In addition to the directory, LGBTQ-NA provides blog content focused on sensitivity in notarial services and has plans to expand educational resources through its upcoming learning platform, the Truly Impartial Learning Center.
Collaborations and Influence
LGBTQ-NA collaborates with other notary educators and coaches, including founding member Laura Biewer and notary coach Jennifer Neitzel, both of whom co-host the podcast Tuesday Notary Titans. These collaborations have contributed to a growing conversation about notarial impartiality and inclusion on platforms like LinkedIn and within the broader notary community.
While LGBTQ-NA has not yet shaped formal policy, it is recognized for initiating thought leadership around what it means to serve clients impartially in practice. Public engagement through polls and social discussion has helped define inclusive practices within the profession.
National Reach
As of 2025, LGBTQ-NA has members in at least 14 states and the District of Columbia, with ongoing efforts to expand its national map. Virtual notary services are available for underserved or remote regions, ensuring equitable access regardless of geography.
Legal Context
The association grounds its ethics in the United States Constitution, specifically impartiality and equal protection under the law. In response to increasing threats to LGBTQ+ civil rights under recent political regimes, LGBTQ-NA encourages clients to prioritize estate planning with affirming professionals.
Values and Principles
LGBTQ-NA affirms the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community and explicitly rejects efforts to reduce the community to "LGB-only" frameworks. The organization considers exclusionary ideologies antithetical to its mission. Members are expected to uphold principles of inclusion and professionalism, and to serve all clients without bias.
See Also
- Notary public
- LGBT rights in the United States
- Estate planning
- Apostille
- Name and gender marker change
External Links
This article "LGBTQ Notary Association" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:LGBTQ Notary Association. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
