The Chicago City Council confirmed Mayor Richard Daley's two appointments to fill vacated aldermanic seats March 26. The council unanimously approved 1st Ward Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno and State Rep. Deborah Graham now representing the 29th Ward—but there are questions surrounding their records on LGBT issues.
Moreno, vice president of a graphic-arts printing company, does not have a record on LGBT issues as of yet, but his selection as alderman of the 1st Ward was met with some disappointment as longtime lesbian activist Mona Noriega was unsuccessful in her campaign for the mayor's appointment. Noriega was one of several candidates who sought the 1st Ward position after Ald. Manny Flores left to become chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Graham replaces Ald. Isaac Carothers, who stepped down after pleading guilty to bribery charges. As a Democratic state congresswoman in the 78th District in Oak Park and River Forest, Graham has a record on LGBT legislation that has caused concern over her appointment.
According to the ACLU of Illinois and Equality Illinois, Graham was unwilling to commit her support to last year's civil union legislation.
"Despite repeated efforts from a number of [ ACLU of Illinois ] constituents, Ms. Graham would not commit to support [ civil-union ] legislation," said ACLU of Illinois spokesperson Ed Yohnka.
Equality Illinois Director of Public Policy Rick Garcia said no definitive reason was given for her refusal, but he insists she has otherwise been supportive of the LGBT cause.
" [ Graham has ] always been an ally of the gay community," Garcia said. "She just had a problem and I don't know what it is—even though we begged and pleaded with her—why she wouldn't support the civil-unions bill."
Garcia said that Graham voted for the gay rights bill back in 2005 and that "we would not have been able to pass it without her."
Equality Illinois received numerous calls in the days after Daley's March 15 announcement to stop Graham's appointment, but Garcia said that he refused and assured people Graham leaving an open seat in Springfield is much more beneficial for the advancement of LGBT issues.
"She does us no harm in the City Council," Garcia said. "This opens up that seat for someone to be the leader the [ 78th ] district demands on that issue. Whoever sits in that seat should be a leader on issues of importance to the gay community."
State Sen. Don Harmon has the majority of votes necessary to replace Graham in the House and Garcia says that an effort is already in the works to encourage Harmon to fill that vacancy with a strong "yes" voice for LGBT rights.
