Members of the local and national chapters of the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) convened at In Fine Spirits, 5418 N. Clark, May 2 with local activists to discuss various issues ranging from same-sex marriage to binational couples.
State Rep. Greg Harris started things by discussing Illinois' $12 billion deficit ( saying that Illinois may have to "cut half of everything the state does, or increase revenue" ) and the civil-unions bill. Of the measure, Harris brought attendees up to speed on the bill's status and adding that his ultimate goal is same-sex marriage: "People can get civil unions but we're not going to stop until we get full marriage equality." He also said that he will not call for a full vote in the House unless he is certain he has enough votes for the measure to pass.
Bill Greaves, the LGBT liaison to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, commented that concerns at the forefront included the "bookend issues of aging and youth." He said that there are no concerted ideas regarding how to approach some of the issues that LGBTQ youth contend with, although he quickly added that he felt the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance—a merger between Creating Safe Schools for Illinois ( CSSI-formerly GLSEN Chicago ) and the Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation—"has done great work." Greaves also commended Howard Brown Health Center's LGBT Think Tank on Aging, saying that it is "doing good think-tank work."
Jeremy Pittman, HRC's national deputy field director, talked about several issues, including the federal hate-crimes bill that the U.S. House recently passed. He felt confident about the measure's chances, saying "there is no question the bill will be passed in both chambers before the August recess," although it may not be a standalone bill when it passes. He added that when it passes, it will be the first federal bill to specifically address LGBT individuals.
Pittman added that he expects a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act ( ENDA ) to be re-introduced in both houses, and that the controversial anti-gay military policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" should be repealed but it will "probably take a year or two." Regarding the latter item, Pittman said that Congress probably will not repeal it "until a military commission says it's OK."
Pittman also noted the recent developments concerning same-sex marriage, stating that 10 states have "some fort of same-sex relationship recognition." He stressed that people should contact their politicians, and connected the aforementioned occurrences to the 2010 census, saying he wants "the 2010 census to reflect the reality of our times. ... The big question [ regarding the census ] is: How do we deal with married same-sex couples?"
Lastly, he spoke of the Uniting American Families Act ( UAFA ) , which would allow citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor same-sex spouses ( and other immediate family members ) for immigration purposes. Being candid, Pittman said that he did not "expect the bill to move this session," adding that "Congress would have to take up comprehensive immigration reform" and that UAFA could not pass if it stood alone. However, he did recognize that UAFA involves "an incredibly important issue for many, many people."
Lois Bates of Howard Brown Health Clinic's Transgender Health Services also talked, speaking about legislation State Sen. Heather Steans has introduced—Senate Bill 1354—that would amend the Vital Records Act to allow those individuals who undergo sexual-reassignment surgery outside the United States to change the genetic markers on their birth certificates.
There was also a get-together on the South Side—specifically Anderson Park, 3748 S. Prairie—on May 1 to address similar issues.
