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

GOVERNOR Dan Hynes
Exclusive to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Bill Healy
2010-01-20

This article shared 3025 times since Wed Jan 20, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Hynes, 41, is currently serving his third term as state comptroller.

Hynes talked with Windy City Times about marriage equality and the one of the few things he applauds incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn for doing.

Windy City Times: I spoke with Pat Quinn, and he said that he supports civil unions for same-sex couples. He wouldn't directly address the issue of marriage but talking about the civil-unions bill sponsored by Greg Harris, he said, "That's the bill that can pass today and that's the one we should focus on." What do you think of this?

Dan Hynes: I think that when you're talking about human rights and something that's as fundamental as recognizing two committed loving adults being able to have their relationship recognized by law for what it is, I don't think we should think in terms of what is achievable and likely to pass. You have to say what you believe. You either believe that two committed adults should be able to marry respective of their sexual orientation or you don't. I don't like the idea of people basing their position based on what's achievable in the legislature. It's a fundamental human rights issue. I am looking forward to being an emotional and powerful voice for marriage equality. I won't rest until we are able to achieve that.

WCT: On your Web site, it says that you believe "that if two committed adults want to express their love and their commitment to each other through marriage, they should be allowed to do so under civil law." Why do you think marriage is significant as opposed to civil unions? What led you to this belief?

DH: I think it's almost as fundamental as how we learned separate but equal wasn't truly equal. We're recognizing that the relationship between two committed adults, that their love for each other, deserves not just all the benefits of the law but especially the basic recognition under law. It's a form of discrimination to say we'll give you certain rights but we won't really recognize your marital rights under law. That can't be tolerated.

WCT: You said you've "grown to understand the [ marriage ] issue better as a result of working with advocacy groups and the GLBT community." What understanding grew inside you?

I think part of it was early on in my political career as I talked to advocates and individuals who advised me on LGBT issues, it was more of a strategic approach, the way my opponent [ Pat Quinn ] approaches it. I accepted that. I thought: "What steps can we take incrementally?" while meanwhile I was learning the full dimension of these issues. I gained maturity and realized that to accept anything less than marriage equality was a form of discrimination. I don't think it's healthy to our democracy or right for gay couples to be discriminated against. It was the maturity of what we we're saying by accepting civil unions. We were basically saying, It's okay to discriminate as long as it's minimal. But discrimination is wrong. Period.

WCT: Also on your site it says that you extended healthcare benefits to domestic partners of your employees. Why was that important to you?

DH: I think that sometimes it is difficult to convince every legislator or every elected official that health benefits or other benefits should be afforded to gays and lesbians. When you can take administrative or executive action you can begin to afford those rights to those individuals. It's symbolically important that you're willing to take those steps and that government—if you're going to make these changes, an important place to start is in government. If there's anywhere we shouldn't discriminate it's in government. There was the benefit of including more people under these healthcare benefits and the symbolic impact of taking executive action.

WCT: Gov. Quinn has made funding the state's HIV/AIDS programs a priority this year. What do you make of his decision to fund these programs when there are so many other things vying for attention and money?

DH: You know there aren't a lot of areas where I would applaud him but here I would give him credit. I think it's important that we maintain our commitment to funding HIV and AIDS programs in terms of prevention, education, awareness, treatment and across the board. I think that going forward we have to have a plan to address the budget crisis that we're in so that were not just holding steady but so that were increasing funding for these areas. My budget plan is the most comprehensive plan for dealing with these issues and which could eventually increase funding for HIV and AIDS education.

WCT: As a Catholic how has your faith impacted your beliefs with regard to LGBT rights?

DH: I've been at odds with the Catholic Church on this issue and other issues for a long time. My Catholic faith and upbringing has instilled important values in me and a belief in social justice, in equality and making sure that we are always striving to help others. I think that those values are consistent with my views related to the LGBT community. To me social justice means ending discrimination in any form.

WCT: On your Twitter feed, you said "My mother was a Chicago Public Schools teacher and I've tried to emulate her model of service every day of my time in office." How did your mother's example impact you?

My mom left teaching when she had kids. That was the policy in the Chicago Public Schools in the 1960s. When a woman became pregnant she was asked to take a leave of absence but not after she'd had the baby but when she started showing signs of pregnancy. It's unbelievable to me now that that was the policy. As I've gotten older I've thought about that. You can have practices that at the time are accepted. She didn't even question the policy. Forty years later we look back and say, "How could that possibly have been an acceptable policy?" I can't help but think that we'll look back at this day and age and say, "I can't believe that we would allow other forms of discrimination, like a policy that prohibits marriage equality." Twenty to 30 years from now we'll look back and wonder that. That's just one example. My mom was never really outspoken about her professional career because she left teaching to raise us so it wasn't until I was an adult that I talked to her about her own hopes and dreams. She went on to be a small business owner when her kids were in high school. It was a shop called Hynes Irish Cottage. For 20 years she ran this business. I have always respected her sacrifice. She was always career-driven but she loved being a mom. She put her career on hold for a long time for us. It defines her love for me. I can't help but think what a talented, selfless person she is.

WCT: Whoever wins the race will have a lot of work to do and will have to juggle a lot of different priorities. What can gays and lesbians reasonably expect if you're elected?

DH: They're going to have a vocal advocate but an everyday advocate in the governor's office not just when a major piece of legislation moves through the General Assembly but every day on every policy issue. When it's education, to make sure that we have programs that are designed to end bullying and to get our schools and healthcare and insurance regulations in order. Every issue, every decision there's that consciousness and that advocacy.

See www.danhynes.com .


This article shared 3025 times since Wed Jan 20, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

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

ELECTIONS 2024 Precious Brady-Davis says climate change is top issue as she runs to finish appointed MWRD term 2024-03-08
- Precious Brady-Davis, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Brady-Davis was appointed to the role last summer ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 MWRD's Marcelino Garcia discusses flooding, land use and LGBTQ+ inclusion 2024-03-08
- Marcelina Garcia, commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), is one of several candidates in the running to fill three seats on the board in the March 19 election. Garcia, who chair's the MWRD's Finance ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Mike Simmons discusses LGBTQ+ health disparities, child tax credit 2024-02-27
- State Senator Mike Simmons is running unopposed in the March 19 election. Simmons began representing the 7th District after the former state senator, Heather Steans, retired. He's lived in the area his entire life. ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Raymond Lopez talks congressional run, Chuy Garcia, migrant crisis 2024-02-26
- Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez has been a member of City Council since 2015, representing the 15th Ward and making history as one of the city's first LGBTQ+ Latine alderman. Now, he is setting his sights on ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Kelly Cassidy discusses reproductive health, LGBTQ+ rights ahead of March primary 2024-02-26
- By Kayleigh Padar State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, running unopposed in the March 19 primary election so as to continue representing the 14th District, was first elected in 2011. During her tenure in Springfield, she has ...


Gay News

Bring Chicago Home Campaign releases open endorsement letter from 100+ faith leaders 2024-02-19
--From a press release - CHICAGO — With just over a month before the March 19th primary election, prominent Chicago faith leaders will today release a letter—signed by over 100 religious leaders—endorsing the Bring Chicago Home campaign to restructure the Real ...


Gay News

Democrat flips seat once held by George Santos 2024-02-14
- On Feb. 13 in New York, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed the U.S. congressional seat formerly held by openly gay Republican George Santos, who was recently ousted. According to NBC News, Suozzi's ...


Gay News

Equality Illinois makes 77 pro-equality, pro-family endorsements for 2024 primary election 2024-02-13
--From a press release - CHICAGO - Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for LGBTQ+ Illinoisans, on Tuesday announced state legislative and county-level endorsements for the primary election on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. "Equality ...


Gay News

WORLD Taiwan MP, lesbian couple, India items, Ghana assault, Nepal 2024-02-09
- Huang Jie said her election to Taiwan's parliament as the island's first openly gay MP represents progress, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. "I hope (my election) will bring courage to many people as I've ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Judge Ed Underhill talks experience, newest campaign 2024-02-05
- Last June, longtime attorney Ed Underhill assumed the role of Cook County judge, becoming one of the few LGBTQ+ people to be in one of those positions. (He's in the LGBTQ+ group The Alliance of Illinois ...


Gay News

Equality Illinois endorses in two key primary election races 2024-01-24
--From a press release - Equality Illinois endorses in two key primary election races for state representative: Dr. Michael Crawford in Illinois House District 31 and Lisa J. Davis in Illinois House District 32. Dr. Crawford and Ms. Davis have demonstrated ...


Gay News

Rainbow Wave: 238 LGBTQ+ candidates win public office in 2023, all time high for an odd year election 2023-11-14
--From a press release - Washington, DC — 238 out LGBTQ+ candidates have won elections in 2023, as of 3 p.m. ET, surpassing the record 185 who won in 2021 — the last odd-year election. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is awaiting final ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Election results, campus items, Puerto Rican icons, healthcare suit 2023-11-10
- Historic developments took place during the Nov. 7 elections that happened in some states. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund candidate Rue Landau won an at-large seat on the Philadelphia City Council—making her the first out LGBTQ+ candidate to ...


 


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.