You should not have to prove your gender identity to use facilities at a restaurant, hotel, or grocery store. But currently, in the City of Chicago, a transgender or gender non-conforming person could be asked to show proof of gender identity in the form of a government-issued ID. That’s fundamentally unfair.
That is why Equality Illinois supports a newly introduced Chicago Equal Access Ordinance that would prohibit places of public accommodations from asking patrons to show a government ID as proof of gender identity to use the restroom.
Current municipal law has the effect of humiliating transgender and gender non-conforming people, many of whom have been unable to correct the gender markers on their IDs. Clearly, the current law needs to change.
Tell your alderman to vote for the ordinance that would ensure full equal access to public accommodations consistent with a person’s gender identity (Ordinance 2016-3973). If you don’t know your alderman or how to get it touch, look it up here.
The Chicago City Council’s Committee on Human Relations will consider the ordinance on Wednesday. Please send a message to your alderman today urging a vote for the Chicago Equal Access Ordinance.
It’ll be a vote for dignity in the City of Chicago.