Archive for the ‘Illinois’ Category

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a national study of housing discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the sale and rental of housing. As they plan this research effort, the department is conducting a national listening tour with public meetings planned in Chicago, New York and San Francisco in the coming days.
Information [...]

Illinois:
The Chicago Steering Committee, as part of HRC’s No Excuses campaign, invited Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley to speak at the Steering Committee’s Political Update. From Bill Weeks:
“Over 70 people attended the Political Update. Representative Schakowsky serves at the co-chair of the LGBT caucus and received a standing ovation when she was introduced! Representative [...]

 
The new Chief Executive Officer of Equality Illinois, Bernard Cherkasov, visited with some of HRC’s field team yesterday to introduce himself and to discuss working together to help pass federal legislation as well as partnership recognition legislation in Illinois.
While this was a great meeting, perhaps most memorable for Bernard was the fact that years ago [...]

Six HRC members met with Representative Debbie Halvorson’s staff at her office in Joliet yesterday.   Bill Weeks sent in this report:
“It was great to see HRC members taking action and sharing their stories.  Face to face conversations like these turn abstract concepts of equality into concrete stories about constituents and families.  By putting a face and [...]

Hundreds of people from Illinois have already expressed interest in scheduling in-district lobby visits with their legislators through No Excuses.  Three HRC members from Illinois happened to be in DC last week and were able to attend Illinois Coffee with Senators Durbin and Burris:
From HRC Field Assistant Katie Taylor:
I never thought I’d be sharing coffee [...]

Ed. Note: This update on the civil unions bill in Illinois is from Nathan Schackow, an HRC volunteer leader in Chicago.
Lawmakers in Springfield spent many grueling hours this weekend scrambling to take care of business before the final deadline of this year’s legislative session. Members of the House worked past midnight and into Monday morning [...]

Ed. Note: This update on the civil unions bill in Illinois is from Nathan Schackow, an HRC volunteer leader in Chicago
As of late Friday afternoon Senate Bill 1716, the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, is now ready to move forward in the Illinois House.
The status of the bill is “Third Reading” at the moment, meaning [...]

Ed. Note: This post by Nathan Schackow, an HRC volunteer leader in Chicago
With the clock ticking on the legislative session in Springfield, leaders of communities of faith around the state have been among the many voices advocating for passage of the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (SB 1716).
“As a person of faith, [...]

Ed. Note: This post from Nathan Schackow, an HRC volunteer leader in Chicago.

Civil Unions in the Land of Lincoln?
 
All eyes are on the Illinois legislature today as the House will likely take a vote within hours that could bring civil unions to the Land of Lincoln.  Yes, that is right.  Today the legislature is expected [...]

By HRC Regional Field Organizer Terry McGuire:
We held our weekly Dialing for Equality phonebank here last night at the HRC Headquarters. As we do each week, we invite members of the DC metro area community to join us in calling for pro-equality candidates, campaigns, and legislation.
On Wednesday we called for two legislative efforts that are quickly [...]