As new leadership was getting set to be sworn in during ceremonies in the state's seat of power, the Springfield City Council moved itself into the new era by adding gay, lesbian and gender-identity protections to that city's law books.
Mayor Karen Hasara, a Republican who is also a former state senator and representative, also supported the measure.
Even Rockford and Peoria are getting set to consider the issue. As they say nationwide, if it can happen in Peoria ... .
On Monday, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, a supporter of GLBT statewide rights, was sworn in as the state's new governor. Last week, pro-gay Democrat Sen. Emil Jones took the power from retiring Republican Sen. Pate Philip as head of the Senate. And the Dems still control the state House. That means that statewide GLBT protections could be just months away from reality, after a battle that started in the 1970s.
But activists in communities around the state are not waiting for the OK from the capital. During the past few months, several municipalities have tried to stay ahead of the curve, passing their own laws, some inclusive of gender-identity, like the one in Springfield, and some covering just sexual orientation.
Equality Illinois joined with Springfield activists in organizing broad-based support for the ordinance. They have also helped other areas pass gay-rights laws.
In Illinois, Cook County and the cities of Bloomington, Champaign, Chicago, Decatur, DeKalb, Evanston, LaGrange, Naperville, Normal, Oak Park, and Urbana include sexual orientation in local ordinances. Springfield became the twelfth jurisdiction with their 8-1-1 vote Jan. 7.
'The passage of a strong gay-rights bill in the heart of the heartland sends the distinct and clear message that fair-minded middle Americans support gay and lesbian civil rights,' said Rick Garcia, political director of Equality Illinois. 'This is a great success and paves the way for a statewide bill to ban anti-gay discrimination.'
In his testimony before the council, Garcia challenged the morality of those who invoke religion to oppose the ordinance.
'Let me remind you that people invoked God and the Holy Scriptures to oppose the abolition of slavery, to oppose the vote for women and to oppose integration,' Garcia said. 'Let me suggest that the basic foundation of our Judeo-Christian tradition is justice and mercy, not intolerance and bigotry.'
The City Council heard almost two hours of testimony supporting and opposing the ordinance. Opponents claimed that the ordinance would violate religious institutions' ability to preach against homosexuality, that homosexuals spread disease and are a threat to children and society, Garcia said.
Buff Carmichael of the gay newspaper the Prairie Flame was also boasting of the win. Garcia said Carmichael played a critical role in helping coalesce support for the bill.
'We were expecting a 5-5 tie and the mayor had promised to break it in our favor,' Carmichael wrote to supporters. 'We really hoped for a little more margin, but were not sure. ... Ald. Judy Yeager did a wonderful job as our sponsor and Ald. Cecilia Tumulty was very powerful in her co-sponsorship.'
Garcia said Peoria and Rockford are the next areas considering GLBT rights.
The Peoria Journal-Star reported Jan. 9 that activists including Carole Hoke, a Peoria social worker, and Douglas Drenckpohl and Hector Martinez from The Men's Network, would be pushing the Fair Employment and Housing Commission to consider a GLBT-rights law, the first step to bringing the measure to the City Council.
