After more than a year of silence on the formation of an advisory council budgeted by the city to address LGBT and women's issues, some have begun to suspect that council will be cut. But, city officials say they are working to the fill the council.
The Advisory Council on LGBT/ Women's Issues is the last council to start meeting after the 2012 city budget dramatically reduced the city's identity-based councils from eight to just three.
Before 2012, Chicago had the Advisory Council on LGBT Issues and a mayoral liaison who directed the council. That council oversaw the city's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame each year (the Hall of Fame now exists as a separate entity).
When the councils were reduced in 2012, the LGBT council was replaced by a joint LGBT and women's council, and members of both groups were dismissed in favor of new appointments.
But after two budgets and more than a year without the council, some have begun to question if the council will return at all.
Eve Rodriguez, assistant press secretary to Mayor Emanuel, said in a statement to Windy City Times that the council will be convened.
"Regarding the Advisory Council on Women and LGBT, Mayor Emanuel's senior staff and department heads reflect the diversity of the city, with high-ranking LGBT Chicagoans in the Mayor's Office and every department," Rodriguez wrote. "All parts of government continue to actively coordinate with the LGBT community, and will continue to do so until this position is filled."
Pressed further on whether the full council would be appointed, Rodriguez said the city is "actively working on filling it."
Ald. Joe Moore, chairman of the Chicago Council on Human Relations, said that he has yet to receive appointments for the council from the Mayor's office.
Asked if he knew if the council would be formed, he said, "Well, it's part of the budget."
Moore said he would be following up with the Mayor's office on the timeline of appointments.
The 2011 dissolution of the city's volunteer Advisory Council on LGBT Issues was strongly opposed by longtime LGBT activists. The Council on Veteran's Issues was not dissolved in that budget and continued to meet. The councils on African, Arab, Asian, Immigrant and Refugee and Latino Issues were dissolved and replaced with one "Equity" council.
The Equity council is in its third month in operation. That council is headed by Arnold Romeo, who previously directed the African council.
It's still early, said Romeo, but so far, his combined council is working fine.
"The thing about the Equity council is that it brings four communities with issues that have had a disparate impact, it brings those communities together," said Romeo.
Rodriguez previously told Windy City Times that the appointments would likely follow the hiring of the director position, budgeted at $86,796. The city, however, has not announced a hire. Before the change in councils, Bill Greaves was head of the LGBT area, but he lost his job as part of these changes.
The Commission on Human Relations, which oversees the councils, is not entirely without LGBT representation. Mona Noriega, a lesbian who has a long track record on LGBT issues, currently heads the commission.