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

Out Lesbian Runs for Circuit Court Judge
by Amy Wooten
2006-01-04

This article shared 7866 times since Wed Jan 4, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


When local out lesbian Mary Colleen Roberts answered the phone, she was vacationing in sunny Florida with her partner of nearly 15 years, Alison White, and their two young children. But Roberts is far from resting on her laurels.

In November, the law vet and avid runner announced her candidacy for Judge in the 11th Judicial Subcircuit of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Things have been a little hectic ever since for this Oak Park resident.

After college, Roberts' career began at Maryville Academy, a social-service agency that provides residential care for children who are wards of the court. Seeing how the legal system interfaced with the lives of the kids she was working with inspired her to attend law school at DePaul University College of Law and continue a legal career in the public sector as an attorney.

'I thought I could better serve people as an attorney,' she said. She's been in the courtroom for the past 16 years.

At Maryville Academy, Roberts' experience regarding two children in particular—both child prostitutes—pushed her to serve in the public sector. Roberts saw the system fail for a young woman who would always need social services. Her caseworker and attorney 'dumped' her, Roberts said. The girl went back to living on the streets after graduating from the academy.

The other child, who Roberts described as a 'great kid,' was in a witness protection plan. Roberts saw a transformation in him at the academy, from a kid who lived hand-to-mouth on the street to a 'success story.' But once he graduated, he went back to prostituting and was eventually found murdered by a serial killer.

It became very personal for me,' Roberts said.

Roberts has served as an Assistant State's Attorney, a Hearing Officer in the Child Protection Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for Chicago's Department of Law.

In 2003, Roberts returned to the State's Attorney's office as a felony trial assistant in the Community Prosecution Division. She currently works in Complex Narcotics unit at 26th and California.

Throughout her career, Roberts said, she has gotten her hand in criminal, civil and administrative law. Roberts pursued many different avenues in order to collect enough experience to become a judge—a position she's desired for many years.

'Overall, I've had a wide range of experience,' she said. 'Professionally, I think that's what qualifies me to become a judge.'

However, as an out mother heavily involved in the community, Roberts feels that her personal experiences give her an edge that further qualifies her and sets her apart from other candidates.

For Roberts, having out gay and lesbian judges is incredibly important. She feels that being out is a key component to her becoming an effective judge.

'I believe that honesty of myself brings to bear in the decisions that I make at work and in my personal life,' she said. As a lesbian, Roberts said, she knows she can bring an element of fairness to the bench. 'The Circuit Court judge is the person who is making decisions about people's lives at a very individual and instant level.

'It's given me the ability to be empathetic towards people who are different than I am because I know firsthand what it's like to be discriminated against,' she continued. 'I'm able to see the nuances in any situation. At a very basic level, it's important to have gay and lesbian people as judges.'

On her Web site, Roberts claims she is 'from the community and for the community.' Community involvement plays a large role in Roberts' life. Roberts, who has completed six marathons since 1998, founded the Ravenswood 5K Run Race. Roberts and her partner lent a helping hand to their church's food pantry, but there was a significant demand to provide more. So, in 1996, Roberts decided to create the race in order to provide funding for the food pantry. The race, in its tenth successful year, also provides support for a high school health center.

'People came out of the woodwork to help,' she said.

Roberts is also a member of the board and lay president of the board at All Saints Episcopal Church in Ravenswood.

Roberts has been involved in the LGBT community for many years. As a law student, she helped create a gay/straight alliance at DePaul. After law school, she was one of the founding members of the gay and lesbian task force for the State's Attorney at that time. Roberts was also involved in the now-defunct Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

She does pro bono work for LGBT couples who have children to get same-gender parent adoption, and is a proud member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago.

Roberts is also currently speaking with several state legislators about how to get the pension plan amended so same-sex domestic partners of Cook County retirees can get the same spousal benefits as traditional married couples.

See www.marycolleenrobertsforjudge.com .


This article shared 7866 times since Wed Jan 4, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill
2024-03-27
On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors
2024-03-24
On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Family of 2004 murder victim holds event in Lake View; reward announced
2024-03-24
The year 2004, for the family and friends of Lake View resident Kevin Clewer, will forever be marked by tragedy. On March 24 of that year, Clewer, 31, was found in his apartment at 3444 N. Elaine Pl.; he was the ...


Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal
2024-03-22
In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist
2024-03-21
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes
2024-03-15
Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
2024-03-15
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies
2024-03-15
Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ people attacked by mobs in Greece
2024-03-14
Just weeks after a landmark law granted same-sex couples in Greece the right to marry, nearly 200 people dressed in black chased a transgender couple through the town square in Thessaloniki, the country's "second city" and ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit
2024-03-11
On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...


Gay News

"X" gender marker now available on Illinois driver's licenses and state ID cards
2024-03-11
After several years of preparation, the Illinois Secretary of State's office is has been making the X gender designation available for non-binary residents and others not utilizing the M or F designations, since the beginning of ...


 


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.