FORUM IGNITES PUSH FOR TRANS RIGHTS ORDINANCE

By Gary Barlow

Staff writer

Discrimination based on real or perceived gender identity often leaves some Chicagoans homeless, unemployed and forced to survive on the street, where they face police harassment and few alternatives to prostitution, GLBT rights advocates said last week.

"It's very difficult being a transgender youth," said Daniel Reyes. "You can't get a job. In school, I was constantly being harassed. That led me into being homeless and prostituting."

Reyes, who now does street outreach for the Chicago Recovery Alliance, was one of a host of speakers at a community forum May 23 to urge passage of a proposed ordinance to ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression in Chicago.

"Discrimination destroys everyone's dignity," said Lorrainne Sade-Baskerville, founder and director of transGenesis. "It violates our right to be treated equally. How long must I, must we, wait before we acknowledge that civil rights belong to every citizen?"

Chicago's human rights ordinance prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation but that does not protect transgendered people or others whose gender expression is not seen as conforming to traditional stereotypes.

That will change if the Chicago City Council and Mayor Richard M. Daley approve a proposed amendment to the human rights ordinance now awaiting a vote in the council's human rights committee. Alds. Bernie Hansen (44th Ward), Billy Ocasio (26th Ward) and Gene Schulter (47th Ward) are sponsoring the amendment.

"Time is of the essence. We've really got to get this passed as soon as possible," Schulter said, after hearing several speakers at the forum talk about their experiences with discrimination.

The forum, held at Ann Sather in Lakeview, attracted about 75 people and was sponsored by It's Time Illinois, Equality Illinois, the Chicago Department of Public Health's Office of LGBT Health and the Chicago Human Relations Commission's Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues. Advocates from those agencies urged people to contact Daley and their aldermen to urge support for the amendment.

"We can't do our part for the community by just being part of the community," said Lora Branch, director of CDPH's LGBT health office. "Our part is not only being part of the community but standing up for the community."

Mary Morten, former director of ACGLI, said advocates need public support now to aid their lobbying effort among aldermen.

"It will not be called for a vote until we're sure we have the votes," Morten said. "So it's really important that we contact the aldermen. Letter-writing actually makes a difference."

At the forum, advocates passed out kits to help people write and contact their aldermen. ITI also offered to arrange visits with aldermen.

"We'd like everyone in the city to participate in that," said Lisa Schepps, of ITI. "People will go down (to City Hall) with you if you want. We're also organizing teams to go down and visit with aldermen."