ACTIVISTS PRESS DALEY FOR ORDINANCE

By Gary Barlow, Chicago Free Press

Staff writer

CHICAGO, April 6, 2002. Activists frustrated with the Chicago City Council's inaction on a proposed ordinance that would ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression say it's time for the GLBT community to demand that Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley bring the measure up for a vote.

"A year-and-a-half ago we introduced an ordinance to add gender identity and expression to Chicago's human rights ordinance," said Miranda Stevens-Miller, of It's Time Illinois, addressing 350 GLBT students April 6 at Chicago Collegiate Pride Fest 2002. "That has been stuck in the mayor's office. We'd like you to help us un-stick it. Write a letter to the mayor. Tell him, 'We live in your city, we work in your city and we go to school in your city, and our rights are not protected.'"

Stevens-Miller and other advocates say the mayor's office has repeatedly expressed support for the ordinance, but refuses to allow it to come up for a vote. The ordinance was introduced Sept. 27, 2000, by Ald. Billy Ocasio (26th Ward) and Ald. Bernie Hansen (44th Ward.) Supporters of the ordinance believe the mayor's support for it, along with his OK for a council vote, would likely result in passage.

Stevens-Miller said the ordinance, in addition to protecting transgenders from discrimination, would also strengthen protections for the entire GLBT community.

"Over one-third of gays and lesbians who have been discriminated against-it's because of gender expression," she said. "It's always the most visible queers who bear the brunt of discrimination."

Discrimination based on gender identity is illegal in four cities in Illinois-Champaign, Urbana, Evanston and DeKalb. Nationally two states-Minnesota and Rhode Island-have added such protections to civil rights laws, along with a growing list of cities that includes Minneapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta and Portland, Ore.

Hansen said he was unsure about the reason for the delay. He said the bill was sent to the Committee on Human Relations, which Ocasio chairs, at Ocasio's request.

"I'll do whatever I can to move it forward," Hansen said.

Ocasio was out of town and could not be reached for comment. The mayor's office had no comment on the ordinance by press time.