Electing a governor from the Green Party will mean action, not just supportive words, when it comes to achieving equality for LGBT individuals in Illinois, gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney said at an Oct. 29 press conference at the Oracle Theatre in Lakevew. Whitney voiced his intent to fight for gay rights if elected, while criticizing current political leaders for being all talk when it comes to LGBT issues.
Whitney said members of the LGBT community have become increasingly dissatisfied with Democrats' lack of action. Democratic Party leaders say the right things, but they have not managed to pass much legislation furthering LGBT rights at the state or federal levels, he said. Whitney acknowledged one victory in the 2006 amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act that prohibited sexual orientation- and gender identity-based discrimination concerning employment, real estate transactions financial credit and public accommodations. However, he said the list of recent legal triumphs for LGBT rights in Illinois essentially ends there. With the Green Party in charge, things would be different, he said.
"In this campaign, I'm the candidate who's out in front on these issues," Whitney said. "If elected governor, I want to fight for a society where we don't have a problem with a same-sex couple who wants to go to the senior prom."
Whitney added that he believes in full equality under the law for LGBT individuals, including the right to marry and protection from housing and employment discrimination. He also noted that the Green Party has a history of supporting gay rights: Jason West, former Green Party mayor of New Paltz, N.Y., gained national attention for performing same-sex marriages in 2004.
Chicago resident Walter Pituc, an educator and LGBT community member, expressed support for Whitney and also denounced Democratic leaders for their lack of action.
"The Green Party is the only party in Illinois that will stand up for people like me," Pituc said. "We've been waiting too long for the Democrats to deliver. We in the LGBT community are impatient. Why settle for a party that settles for a civil unions bill?"
In addition to addressing the LGBT community, Whitney also announced that he is filing a lawsuit in federal court against Chicago's PBS station WTTW for excluding him from an Oct. 28 gubernatorial debate. Whitney and Illinois Green Party Chair Phil Huckelberry also spoke about recent problems with malfunctioning electronic voting machines. For more information on the party, visit www.whitneyforgov.org .
