Illinois groups respond to Masterpiece Cake SCOTUS decision Video below by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times 2018-06-04
This article shared 1266 times since Mon Jun 4, 2018
ACLU of Illinois, Lambda Legal-Midwest Regional Office, Equality Illinois ( EI ), AIDS Foundation of Chicago ( AFC ), Indivisible Chicago, Women's March Illinois and the Transformative Justice Law Project held a rally June 4 at Federal Plaza following the U.S. Supreme Court's 7-2 narrow ruling in favor of the Christian bakers in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case.
The overriding message from these organizations was that LGBTQ protections remain in effect in Chicago and Illinois despite this ruling.
"We are here today as a community in response to the Supreme Court's decision this morning," said ACLU of Illinois Director of Communications and Public Policy Ed Yohnka. "This case was always about more than just cake. It is about who we are as a people. It is about whether or not we are going to discriminate or whether or not we are going to be fair, equitable and open for all. I think we should be open for all."
Yohnka said the LGBTQ community "has fought hard and won protections against discrimination" and "we are not going back from all of that."
Lambda Legal-Midwest Legal Assistant Elissa Jeffers explained that this ruling does not change the law and that Illinois' LGBTQ non-discrimination law is one of the strongest in the country. Jeffers noted that Lambda Legal will continue to fight anti-discrimination cases nationwide in the coming months and years.
EI Director of Civic Engagement Anthony Galloway said "we are heartened by today's Supreme Court decision." He noted that the opponents of equality will not stop their efforts to hasten and/or roll back protections for LGBTQ people. Galloway explained that although LGBTQ discrimination still exists there is no turning back from the progress that has already been made. He urged Gov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, as well as all businesses across the state, to publicly support Illinois Human Rights Act in the wake of this Supreme Court decision.
AFC CEO and President John Peller said everyone must remain vigilant because anti-LGBTQ people may use this decision to discriminate in other areas, including against people with HIV.
Chicago Commission on Human Relations Commissioner Mona Noriega asked the crowd if they were mad and said her office will enforce the laws protecting LGBTQ people everywhere in the city. She explained that if anyone is discriminated against based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or any of the other protected classes she wants to hear from them.
Following the rally, Noriega handed out an explainer on Chicago's Human Rights and Fair Housing ordinances regarding LGBTQ people and discrimination protections in employment, public accommodations, housing, credit and bonding.
Statement from Chicago's LGBT Caucus on Supreme Court ruling:
"Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission) is one that the members of LGBTQ caucus in the Chicago City Council find deeply troubling. While it stops short of officially sanctioning discrimination against the LGBTQ community, we fear the court has handed those who seek to spread intolerance and homophobia a symbolic victory in their efforts to ignore the equal protections afforded to LGBTQ Americans under the U.S. Constitution and deny access to services in the marketplace under the guise of 'religious freedom.'
"We invite any and all Americans to visit any of our LBGTQ-owned bakeries in Chicago, especially those who practice religious bigotry. You might learn a thing or two."
The five Aldermen who make up the LGBT Caucus are: James Cappleman, Deb Mell, Raymond Lopez, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Tom Tunney.
Statement From Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel:
"Today's Supreme Court decision is deeply disappointing, but it does not give anyone a license to discriminate, and it will not undermine our ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The City of Chicago will continue to uphold equal protection under the law, regardless of the person you love or how you identify. As we start to celebrate Pride Month, let's recognize the countless contributions made by LGBT Chicagoans and reaffirm our unwavering belief in equality for all."
This article shared 1266 times since Mon Jun 4, 2018
WORLD Queer-friendly spots, religion items, Argentine protests, Iraqi bill 2024-04-26 Following a travel warning issued for LGBTQ+ tourists in Greece, euronews published a list of the European spots that are most welcoming to queer people. Even though same-sex marriage was recently legalized in Greece, the British ...
NATIONAL Montana suit, equality campaign, Michigan St. incident, hacker group 2024-04-26 Video below - A class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Montana is challenging that state's policies restricting transgender people from updating the gender markers on their birth certificates and driver's licenses, Montana Public Radio reported. The suit, fi ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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.