Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch speak to Lambda Legal annual event
From a USDOJ press release
2015-06-19

This article shared 2174 times since Fri Jun 19, 2015
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


Remarks as prepared for delivery

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Thank you, Karen [Dixon] and Patrick [Menasco], for that kind introduction and for the extraordinary vision and unwavering commitment that you and your colleagues at Lambda Legal bring to some of the most critical issues facing our nation today. Under the steady hand of Executive Director [Kevin] Cathcart, your efforts have yielded spectacular results in the fight for the more just and more equal society that everyone in this country deserves — results that were unimaginable to so many for so long. It's a privilege to share the stage with you tonight and it's a pleasure to join so many talented advocates, dedicated leaders and good friends in toasting a year of rapid and remarkable progress.

We come together this evening at an electric moment in the evolution of this movement, in the story of this community and in the history of this nation. After decades of untold struggle, unyielding advocacy and unfathomable bravery, it is clear that we are in the midst of a national awakening. Tonight's celebration is a commemoration of historic change that has already arrived and that will shape our country for years to come. And it is a tribute to the indomitable determination you displayed by standing up for yourselves and your community in the face of concerted opposition and immense challenge.

Trailblazers in this room and heroes far beyond it have devoted your lives and made countless personal sacrifices, to fight for what your hearts have always told you is right. Many of you joined the front lines at a time when a right to marriage for same-sex couples was unthinkable, when the fight was for nothing more — and nothing less — than your ability to exist, to be free and to love. You faced pervasive discrimination, prejudice and harassment that was sanctioned by your country and carried out by your fellow Americans. And you experienced, on a daily basis, evidence of bigotry, reminders of inequity and threats of violence. No reward for your efforts was ever guaranteed and you knew that change would happen slowly if it happened at all.

Still, you carried on. And thanks to your courage, your devotion and your tenacity, in recent years, the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality has reached an incredible crescendo. Through the vigorous campaigns of pioneers, activists and allies — many of whom emerged from the nation's legal community — we have witnessed a profound national pivot away from hate and intolerance and toward acceptance, respect and understanding. And with a foundation laid by the arduous, grinding and enormously difficult work of individuals we are proud to celebrate — as well as by those who are no longer with us — we are finally witnessing the cascade of equality that they envisioned, that they set in motion and that will forever reshape this country.

Since the riots at Stonewall and for more than four decades, Lambda Legal has been at the forefront of this effort, empowering LGBT people across the country, from all backgrounds and walks of life, to come out from the shadows, to stand up against oppression and to insist on the respect, the freedom and the equal treatment that every American deserves. Like so many civil rights leaders before you, you have pushed relentlessly to challenge injustice and upend the status quo. In courts and in schools, in hospitals and in legislatures, you have taken critical steps to improve the lives of LGBT individuals. You have spoken out for fair treatment at work, supported those living with HIV and won stronger legal protections for some of our most vulnerable citizens. And you have worked tirelessly to realize the high ideals that have defined this nation since its founding, including the foundational right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — no matter who you are, where you come from, or whom you love.

Lambda Legal's visionary activists and unstoppable advocates have made a mark so deep, so transformative and so permanent that no account of this movement — and no history of this nation — can be written without reference to your enduring contributions to the meaning of full and equal citizenship. And there is perhaps no greater measure of the extraordinary progress you have brought to fruition than the fact that, less than 30 years after this country cast LGBT individuals as both separate and unequal in Bowers v. Hardwick, you now have the enthusiastic partnership of the Department of Justice and the full and unwavering support of the President of the United States. President Obama and I are both passionate about this cause and deeply devoted to this mission, and this administration is committed to invigorating the values of equality and opportunity that you have long demanded for all Americans.

That commitment has been evident since the earliest days of the Obama Administration. We refused to defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, because we believed that the law ran counter to Americans' right to equal protection. We worked with Lambda Legal and others to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," because we believe that no one should have to choose between the person they love and the country they love. We have strenuously enforced the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act; secured new protections for LGBT domestic violence survivors in the Violence Against Women Act; and late last year, in a watershed moment for the transgender community, announced our position that the landmark protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to discrimination based on an individual's gender identity, including transgender status.

Each of these individual strides is a significant achievement. Every step forward represents groundbreaking progress. And together, they send an unmistakable message to LGBT Americans from coast to coast: Your country stands proudly with you. Your fellow citizens are by your side. You are not alone — not now and never again. We will never stop working to spread a broader recognition of the support, consideration and compassion that all Americans should receive. And we will continue to ensure that this nation lives up to a pledge made to young people the world over: that they can look forward to new days filled with hope, with possibility, with tranquility and with joy, because over time and with the help of friends and allies growing more numerous by the day, it will get better.

Of course, even as we celebrate remarkable advances, it is clear that we still have more work to do. We have already seen some of the legislative strategies that opponents will use to undermine marriage equality. Difficult legal issues, from adoption to immigration, remain unresolved. And even today, in some states, LGBT individuals can be fired from their jobs for simply being who they are. This administration and this Department of Justice has long called on Congress to protect LGBT employees by passing an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and I renew that call today.

The transgender community in particular is facing new and difficult legal issues that extend far beyond marriage — and here, too, the Department of Justice has provided support. In April, for example, we filed a statement of interest supporting Ashley Diamond, a transgender woman incarcerated in Georgia whose hormone treatment was cut off when she entered prison. We stated our position that the Eighth Amendment requires individualized assessment and care for gender dysphoria in prison just like any other medical condition.

Put simply, we understand that this nation's ongoing fight for equality has many fronts, and we cannot afford to grow complacent when there is so much left to do. We must — and we will — keep working to bring about the more equal society, the more just future and the more perfect Union to which we must always aspire. You all know the challenges we face, but you also know what it takes to surmount them and to create positive, lasting change in this country — because you've done it, time and again, for more than four decades. And you have seen the amazing results.

Just two months ago, Donald Verrilli, the Solicitor General of the United States, told the Supreme Court forcefully and unequivocally that "Gay and lesbian people are equal. They deserve equal protection of the laws. And they deserve it now." That simple declarative statement — made on behalf of the Justice Department, the Obama Administration and the United States of America — encapsulates lessons learned, minds opened and hearts touched. It represents the will of our country and the soul of our society. And it serves as one of many towering guideposts on what has been a hard-fought and hard-won road to justice.

Today, as we celebrate the victories of the past, let us also recommit ourselves to the fight for our future. Let us rededicate ourselves, right here, tonight, to moving forward together in the spirit of equality. Let us draw strength and inspiration from the long road we've traveled — and steel ourselves for the journey ahead.

I know that our work will not be easy. But as I look around this extraordinary gathering — of individuals motivated by faith in the promise of this country and determination to make that promise real — I am confident in what we can achieve together. I am excited to work alongside you to spread fairness, dignity and equality to every corner of this nation. And I cannot wait to celebrate all the victories that lie ahead as we continue to bend the arc of the moral universe decisively toward justice.

Thank you and keep up the great work.


This article shared 2174 times since Fri Jun 19, 2015
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill
2024-03-27
On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors
2024-03-24
On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Family of 2004 murder victim holds event in Lake View; reward announced
2024-03-24
The year 2004, for the family and friends of Lake View resident Kevin Clewer, will forever be marked by tragedy. On March 24 of that year, Clewer, 31, was found in his apartment at 3444 N. Elaine Pl.; he was the ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama
2024-03-22
Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal
2024-03-22
In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house
2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds
2024-03-21
It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist
2024-03-21
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats
2024-03-21
Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19
2024-03-20
Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down
2024-03-20
In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course
2024-03-18
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes
2024-03-15
Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
2024-03-15
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.