News that affects Illinois as a whole.
CHICAGO — The ACLU of Illinois put out a statement in reaction to a possible new federal policy that would erases federal recognition of transgender people. John Knight, director of the ACLU of Illinois LGBTQ & HIV Project: “This cruel attack on transgender people is a new low point for the Trump Administration. We will…
CHICAGO – On Thursday, attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Chicago chapter of Black & Pink, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide LGBTQ people in prison with allies on the outside. For over two years, Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) has censored communication between this organization and LGBTQ prisoners in…
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released their annual Congressional Scorecard on Wednesday, ranking members of of the 115th U.S. Congress. With Illinois’s congressional delegation, no Republican got above a three out of 100 and all but one scoring zero. Only Adam Kizinger (R-Rockford) actually had a score. During the 144th Congress, he had…
CHICAGO – On National Coming Out Day, when we should be celebrating the full diversity of the LGBTQ community in Illinois, Equality Illinois is extremely disappointed in the unbelievable lack of LGBTQ representation among the more than 400 appointments made by Governor Rauner to state boards and commissions during Fiscal Year 2018, the civil rights…
CHICAGO — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced on Tuesday that the organization was endorsing Democrat J.B. Pritzker for Illinois governor. “J.B. Pritzker has the vision and experience needed to build a stronger future for the hard-working families of Illinois,” said HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof in a press…
By Matt Simonette SPRINGFIELD — Jeffery Erdman and Michael Maginn, both officials with the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), are working hard to make sure that providers, advocates and community members across the entirety of Illinois know about PrEP resources. Erdman, IPHA’s assistant director for programs and compliance, said that the PrEP intervention had been…
CHICAGO — Equality Illinois PAC on Friday called on Gov. Bruce Rauner to stop contributing to the attorney general campaign for Republican Erika Harold. Harold has in the past opposed LGBTQ-supportive policies, including marriage equality and a recent law making it easier for transgender people to update their birth certificates. Last month, Rauner told a…
CHICAGO – On Thursday, attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of historian Heather Thompson, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy” was censored by Illinois prison officials. Attorneys from Uptown People’s Law Center and Sidley Austin LLP filed the lawsuit. It alleges that this censorship…
SPRINGFIELD — In an effort to assist Illinois residents living with HIV who are affected by social determinants of health, Illinois HIV Care Connect today introduced the “Good Health Is More Than Health Care” Quiz. Illinois HIV Care Connect is encouraging people living with HIV are encouraged to take the quiz, which can be found…
CHICAGO–The Equality Illinois PAC has announced endorsements for both local and statewide offices in this year’s general election. “We are proud to endorse a determined and dedicated slate of over 100 pro-equality candidates from across the state and in all corners of government,” said John Litchfield, chair of the Equality Illinois PAC, in a press…
