EQIL Insider Scoop - April 2014
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PROTECTING OUR YOUTH = Last week, the Illinois House Human Services Committee approved HB5569, the Youth Mental Health Protection Act, by a bipartisan 9 to 6 vote. The bill is now moving to the Illinois House of Representatives, and it could be voted on in the next two weeks. Equality Illinois is calling on the General Assembly to protect all vulnerable minors by passing the bill, and we need your help! Call your Illinois House Representative today to ask for a YES vote on HB5569. This bill would prohibit mental health providers in Illinois from engaging in any effort to change the sexual orientation of anyone under the age of 18. In other words, it would stop the use of so-called “conversion therapies” for youth that deceitfully purport to “cure” people of being gay. These practices have actually proven to be very harmful and are actively opposed by leading mental health and medical professional groups.
Not a single lawmaker – Republican or Democrat – who voted for the freedom to marry lost due to support of the marriage bill. For the primary election, the Equality Illinois Political Action Committee spent an unprecedented $150,000, including $130,000 in direct contributions to candidates, and built an aggressive voter persuasion and get-out-the vote effort that targeted high-priority districts.
A fighter for LGBT equality for over four decades, including eight years on the board of Equality Illinois, Vernita Gray made history again last November when she and her longtime partner Patricia Ewert became the first same-sex couple to wed in Illinois thanks to a judge’s order. Vernita, a Chicago resident, passed away last month after a long battle with cancer.
Greg Gravemier was instrumental in bringing LGBT visibility and activism to central Illinois. Greg passed away March 15 in Sterling, Virginia. Equality Illinois offers our condolences to his partner of 37 years, Leland Roth, and to their family and friends.
In the 1990s, Greg and Leland took over a new organization, GLAD–Gay Lesbian Association of Decatur. “Greg and Leland were smart, outgoing, and tactful in dealing with people with varied viewpoints. But, most importantly, they were out! Greg could talk to any kind of group and generate a level of acceptance, even when approval was not possible,” said Buff Carmichael, a longtime Springfield LGBT activist and friend of the couple. For his work, Greg was awarded the first Equality Illinois Freedom Award in 1998.
To commemorate the passage of the historic legislation guaranteeing the right of all people in Illinois to marry, the MCA will open its galleries and sculpture garden to offer complimentary ceremonies and post-ceremony festivities for up to 15 couples. Couples who are selected to be part of this event will receive a wedding ceremony in the museum, followed by a half-hour celebration (champagne and petit fours included) for up to 20 guests. The deadline to enter is Friday, April 18.
FIRST FRIDAY = Join the Equality Illinois PAC on Friday, April 4 for the popular and fun monthly social! This month, First Friday features the Porchlight Music Theatre and its spring production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. A great crowd always joins us for First Friday, so please come by for the fun, cocktails, musicals, and door prize drawings. For a $10 donation at the door to the Equality Illinois PAC, you receive two drink tickets and a ticket to be entered in our door prize drawing. Friday, April 4, 6–8pm @ Sidetrack, 3349 North Halsted Street in Chicago (21+ with ID). Contributions support Equality Illinois PAC. Paid for by Equality Illinois PAC. Contributions are not tax deductible. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website, elections.il.gov, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. State law requires that we report the occupation and name of the employer of any individual who contributes over $500.00. This will be a good opportunity to learn how the new freedom to marry impacts your taxes, benefits and more. Join us at the Fed, for the forum, part of its Money Smart Week, in Chicago’s Loop on Tuesday, April 8 at 6-7:30 pm. MORE INFORMATION AND ADVANCE REGISTRATION Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning musical comedy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. USE the code EQUALITY when purchasing tickets and a portion of every ticket sold is donated to Equality Illinois. More information and tickets are available at 773.327.5252 or they can be purchased ONLINE. Your ticket purchase supports the work of Equality Illinois, and you can have a fabulous time doing it! (Must be 21 or over with ID.) Click here to buy tickets for VIP access. Click here for general admission tickets. Stay up-to-date on community events on our website www.eqil.org
If you would like an Equality Illinois speaker at your event at work, a local civic organization, on campus, a union meeting, your religious group, a home EQIL fundraiser, or wherever, please contact us at info@eqil.org or call 773-477-7173. Stay informed of LGBT-equality matters by visiting us at www.eqil.org. Also, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.
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Relive the fun and excitement of the Equality Illinois 2014 Gala with videos of the program and hundreds of pictures (available for purchase) of the guests, the celebs and the dancing!
