|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|
|
Illinois LGBTQ Advocacy Day May 15
2019-05-02
|
|
This article shared 2368 times since Thu May 2, 2019
|
|
SPRINGFIELD— Champions of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) Illinoisans will journey to Springfield on Wednesday, May 15, for LGBTQ Advocacy Day and ask lawmakers to pass pro-LGBTQ initiatives that ensure Illinois remains one of the strongest states in the country for LGBTQ equality and inclusion. Equality Illinois is partnering with LGBTQ-led organizations from across Illinois, including Affinity Community Services, ALMA Illinois, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Peoria Proud, the Phoenix Center ( Springfield ), Prairie Pride Coalition ( Bloomington-Normal ), the Rainbow Café ( Carbondale ), and WPT ( East St. Louis ) to host the annual LGBTQ Advocacy Day.
The past two election cycles have been very exciting for pro-LGBTQ equality. We saw a record number of pro-LGBTQ equality candidates elected at all levels of government. Even more exciting, we saw an LGBTQ sheriff elected in central Illinois, the first LGBTQ person of color elected to the General Assembly and even a mayor who is an LGBTQ African American woman elected as the chief executive of the third largest city in America — all right here in Illinois!
"On the national level, we have witnessed a rise in anti-LGBTQ sentiment from the administration in Washington. To counter that, we have to be present and visible in the Illinois Capitol so that our state representatives and senators, as well as officials of the executive offices, see that LGBTQ voters and our families and allies will continue to aggressively pursue our rights here in Illinois," said Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, the statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization.
"There is no stepping back from the victories we have already won, and we are counting on our elected Illinois officials to support our agenda," Johnson said.
One major topic these citizen advocates will be discussing with their hometown lawmakers is the Inclusive Curriculum Bill ( HB 246 ), which would ensure the inclusion of LGBTQ contributions in the history curriculum taught in Illinois public schools. An LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum can have a positive effect on students' self-image and make their peers more accepting. It would also bring Illinois closer to being a state that tells the whole story of our shared history. Read more about the bill HERE.
Among other measures that are part of the LGBTQ Advocacy Day agenda is legislation to advance equity for LGBTQ elders ( SB 1319 ) and to ensure the state's jury service non-discrimination protections apply to LGBTQ people ( SB 1378 ). Another agenda item, ( SB 556 ), which would designate single-occupancy restrooms as gender neutral in places of public accommodations and in public buildings.
—From a press release |
|
|
|
This article shared 2368 times since Thu May 2, 2019
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
|
| | Quigley looks ahead to November election at LGBTQ+ roundtable 2024-04-25 U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) discussed the importance of voting in this year's election and the consequences its results could have on the LGBTQ+ community during a roundtable discussion Thursday at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. ...
|
| | State Sen. Villanueva discusses migrants, reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+-rights at ALMA town hall 2024-04-25 On April 23, the Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action (ALMA) held a virtual town hall, in collaboration with Equality Illinois, that featured Illinois state Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-12th District). ALMA ...
|
| | Activists highlight benefits of decriminalizing sex work 2024-04-25 Community advocates from across Chicago gathered at Maggiano's Little Italy, 516 N. Clark St., on April 25 to discuss the safety of Illinois sex workers. After a brief introduction, Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson and ...
|
| | Center on Halsted looks ahead to New Horizons at annual Human First Gala 2024-04-22 New Horizons was the theme of this year's sold-out Center on Halsted (The Center) annual Human First Gala April 20 at The Geraghty in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Ahead of the awards ceremony, the Center's Board of ...
|
| | Legislation to increase HIV testing, Linkage to Care Act passes Illinois House with bipartisan vote of 106 2024-04-20 --From a press release - SPRINGFIELD — Thursday night, House Bill 5417, the Connection to HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Act, or the HIV TLC Act, championed by State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) passed the Illinois House of Representatives with ...
|
| | New Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students...to a point 2024-04-19 New Title IX guidelines finalized April 19 will protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students by federal law and further safeguards of victims of campus sexual assault, according to ABC News. But those protections don't extend to ...
|
| | WORLD Nigeria arrest, Chilean murderer, trans ban, Olivier Awards, marriage items 2024-04-19 Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC's) decision to arrest well-known transgender woman Idris Okuneye (also known as Bobrisky) over the practice of flaunting money has sparked questions among several ...
|
| | NATIONAL Ohio law blocked, Trevor Project, Rev. Troy Perry, ICE suit, Elon Musk 2024-04-19 In Ohio, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook temporarily blocked a Republican-backed state law banning gender-affirming care (such as puberty blockers and hormones) for transgender minors from ...
|
| | BOOKS Frank Bruni gets political in 'The Age of Grievance' 2024-04-18 In The Age of Grievance, longtime New York Times columnist and best-selling author Frank Bruni analyzes the ways in which grievance has come to define our current culture and politics, on both the right and left. ...
|
| | Hunter leads resolution declaring April 2024 as Minority Health Month 2024-04-18 --From a press release - SPRINGFIELD — To raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health, particularly among minority communities, State Senator Mattie Hunter passed a resolution declaring April 2024 as Minority Health Month in ...
|
| | Supreme Court allows Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors 2024-04-18 The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request by Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador to lift a lower court's temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming care for minors, The ...
|
| | City Council passes Lesbian Visibility Week proclamation 2024-04-17 Chicago alderwomen Maria Hadden (49th) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) introduced a resolution at Chicago's April 17 City Council meeting to declare April 22-28 as Lesbian Visibility Week in Chicago. This is part of a nationwide effort ...
|
| | Morrison to run for Cook County clerk (UPDATED) 2024-04-17 Openly gay Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has decided to run for the Cook County clerk position that opened following Karen Yarbrough's death, according to Politico Illinois Playbook. Playbook added that Morrison also wants to run ...
|
| | Appeals court overturns W. Va. trans sports ban 2024-04-17 On April 16, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with teen trans runner Becky Pepper-Jackson and overturned a West Virginia law that banned transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams in ...
|
| | Fed appeals panel ruling helps trans athlete 2024-04-17 A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday (April 16) that West Virginia's law barring transgender female students from participating on female student sports teams violates federal law. In a 2 to 1 decision, the panel ...
| |
|
|
|
|