The 2021 spring session of the Illinois General Assembly has largely wrapped up. EI’s Policy Director Mike Ziri wants to share an update with you on the progress of several key bills that EI was leading or co-leading. Mike spent the last 3 weeks at the state capitol in Springfield, working with legislators and partners …
It’s an #EIHoliday! Thank you to our Holiday Campaign Committee for pledging to donate $100 or recruit three friends to give $25 each in support of our critical work to achieve full equality for all LGBTQ folks in Illinois. Click the image here to join the Committee or give what you can, and be sure …
To achieve full, lived equality for all LGBTQ+ people, Equality Illinois is committed to endorsing and supporting pro-equality candidates who will fight for civil rights and social justice. Equality Illinois proudly endorses the following candidates for the General Election on November 3, 2020.
The 2020 election, the most impactful of our lifetime, is underway, and Election Day is quickly approaching. On October 19 from 10 – 11 AM, Equality Illinois will host a Zoom Town Hall to answer all of your questions about voting safely and securely and to let you know what you can do in these …
LGBTQ Advocacy Day in Springfield is next week. Please join us. Register today for Wednesday, April 11 to talk to lawmakers about the Inclusive Curriculum Bill to teach students the historical events and contributions by LGBTQ people. There are citizen advocates driving and car pooling from all corners of Illinois or arriving on our bus …
Your vote on Tuesday could make the difference in electing LGBTQ-supportive public officials. To learn your polling place, click HERE. To learn more about candidates endorsed for their commitments to LGBTQ equality, please click HERE. With strong headwinds on the national level against LGBTQ civil rights, it is important to vote to make sure Illinois …
Vote Tuesday to Support LGBTQ-Supportive Officials Read More »
On St. Patrick’s Day, take a few minutes to vote early for the Illinois Primary. There are polling places open this weekend throughout Illinois. Find locations and hours HERE. We have seen important elections swing on a handful of votes, so your vote could make the difference in electing LGBTQ-friendly officials. With strong headwinds on …
LGBTQ Advocacy Day in Springfield is a month away, and we’re happy to announce that Affinity Community Services is a community partner and second bus pickup location for the April 11 day trip to Springfield. One of our priority issues will be the Inclusive Curriculum Bill, an initiative of Equality Illinois and the Illinois Safe …
Sign Up Today! LGBTQ Advocacy Day is a month away Read More »
Early Voting for the March 20 Illinois primary continues, including at many locations this weekend. Click to find convenient locations and hours in all 102 Illinois counties plus municipal election authorities. Remember, some cities such as Chicago have their own election authorities. EARLY VOTING INFO
The Illinois Inclusive Curriculum Bill is introduced in the state legislature, an initiative of Equality Illinois and the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance and sponsored by state Sen. Heather Steans of Chicago and state Rep. Anna Moeller, of Elgin, so students will learn about the significant historical events and contributions by LGBTQ people. Some examples: The …
Inclusive Curriculum Bill Introduced to Teach LGBTQ History Read More »
Equality Illinois seeks to build the policy and political power of LGBTQ Illinoisans by linking qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to openings on key state boards and commissions. The Boards and Commissions Initiative seeks to enhance the visibility and public leadership of LGBTQ Illinoisans on the important state boards and commissions that …
The Equality Illinois PAC is endorsing 32 incumbent legislators in its first round of endorsements as the state heads into the 2018 election cycle. The Equality Illinois PAC is the only statewide political entity dedicated to defending and securing the rights of LGBTQ Illinoisans though engagement in the electoral process. READ MORE
Equality Illinois is hopeful that the General Assembly will act in its final days of the spring session to pass bills advancing LGBTQ civil rights, as well as passage, finally, of a responsible budget with adequate revenues to fund essential programs for all Illinoisans. EI Director of Public Policy Michael Ziri and our advocacy team …
Equality Illinois Urges Action on LGBTQ Civil Rights Agenda Read More »
Our LGBTQ Public Service Bill passed the Illinois House on a bipartisan 95-12 vote Wednesday afternoon. The next step is the Governor’s Desk, and we are calling on Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign the measure. Thank you to state Rep. Will Guzzardi and state Sen. Scott Bennett for their leadership. The legislation (SB 1670), one …
LGBTQ Americans find themselves in a position we haven’t been in for nearly a decade: fighting against an administration that wants to turn back the clock on LGBTQ rights. This sadly signals to others that it is permissible to try to stop the progress we’ve all fought so hard to achieve locally and nationally. To …
‘Spring to Action’ Agenda Focuses on Local Events Read More »
As the 100th Illinois General Assembly convenes its two-year session on Wednesday, Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson and Director of Public Policy Michael Ziri are on the case in Springfield representing LGBTQ Illinoisans. Brian and Mike are working with our legislative allies and alongside partner organizations to make sure no pernicious bills become law …
The results of the 2016 election were devastating to so many Americans. We in the LGBTQ community know that if we do not stand up for other historically marginalized groups when they are attacked, we will have no one left to stand up for us when we are attacked. That is why we are calling …
It’s Election Day in Illinois. Here, our progress is the result of our victories at the ballot box. That’s why, when you vote today, it’s important to support every candidate in your community who champions the LGBTQ community. Your voting location is open until 7 p.m. Don’t know where to vote? Find out HERE. Don’t …
An election message from CEO Brian C. Johnson 314 votes. That’s it. Rep. Mike Smiddy won re-election in 2014 by only 314 votes. In November 2013, when Rep. Smiddy–who hails from tiny Hillsdale (population 588)–was a freshman legislator in the Illinois House, he voted for marriage equality. In a western Illinois district where the …
Early voting continues this weekend in many locations throughout Illinois. If not this weekend, vote early during the week. And you can register and vote, too. It’s easy. Our CEO Brian C. Johnson, Director of Education and Outreach Anthony Galloway, and Director of Development Eric Wilkerson have already voted early. And President Obama, too! Your …
Forty Illinois law firms that lead the way in providing a welcoming and fair work environment for LGBT employees and engaging with the LGBT community are being recognized by Equality Illinois for “Raising the Bar” in 2016. In a growing and welcoming trend that helps spread fair and equal treatment, the annual Equality Illinois Law …
With his selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, is demonstrating a callous disregard for LGBT Americans and our families. As a private citizen, a member of Congress and in the Indiana statehouse, Gov. Pence has rejected recognizing that lesbian, gay, bisexual …
A message from Brian C. Johnson, new Equality Illinois CEO: Today, I am both proud to begin my service and humbled to build off 25 years of amazing work to lead Equality Illinois into our next phase. Our fight for equality is far from over. From challenges facing transgender people and LGBT youth to protecting …
Advocates from Equality Illinois and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago–including a transgender university student and the mother of a transgender child–met with Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislators in Springfield to advance a pro-LGBT equality agenda during the spring session of the General Assembly. In a meeting in the Governor’s Office arranged by Equality Illinois, the …
Gov. Rauner, Legislators Meet with Transgender Advocates Read More »
We are excited to announce that U.S. Rep. David Cicilline is the EqualityCon 2016 keynote speaker. Rep. Cicilline as the Chief Sponsor of the Equality Act, the federal LGBT civil rights bill. Registration is now open for EqualityCon 2016, hosted by Equality Illinois Institute, to be held at the University of Illinois at Chicago on …