LAWMAKERS, ACTIVISTS PUSH TRANS RIGHTS

By Gary Barlow

Staff writer

It's Time Illinois reported 30 hate crimes and cases of discrimination against gender variant people in Illinois over the past two years at a press conference April 26.

Advocates and political leaders said the report demonstrates that the City of Chicago, Cook County, the State of Illinois and the federal government have waited too long to pass laws outlawing such discrimination.

"Every citizen deserves to be protected from the serious social and economic effects of discrimination," said Lorrainne Sade-Baskerville, of transGenesis. "Discrimination violates the American ideal that all people should have equal opportunity."

A host of North Side politicians, pledging to continue pushing for non-discrimination laws that cover gender identity and expression, said the report should spur legislative action.

"We stand on the brink of what is possible here in Chicago, in Illinois and on the federal level," said U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Chicago). Schakowsky was the first federal legislator to ban discrimination based on gender identity in her office. After lobbying her peers, Schakowsky said "nearly 120" followed her lead.

"But we still don't have a law," Schakowsky said. "The fact that individuals who are discriminated against can't turn to local, state and federal authorities for help is wrong."

Two states-Minnesota and Rhode Island-ban discrimination based on gender identity, as do six counties and 33 cities in the United States. Four Illinois municipalities-Champaign, Urbana, Evanston and DeKalb-ban discrimination based on gender identity.

A proposed ordinance to add Chicago to that list is before the City Council, and Cook County Comm. Mike Quigley (D-10th) said he will press for a similar ordinance at the county level this year. House Bill 101, under consideration in the Illinois General Assembly, would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Illinois.

Advocates of those measures received a boost April 24 when the New York City Council overwhelmingly added gender identity and expression to that city's human rights law. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) promised to sign the measure.

"New York gave us an example that will be quickly emulated in Chicago," said Clarence Wood, who chairs the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.

Wood said he discussed the proposed Chicago ordinance, sponsored by Alds. Billy Ocasio (26th Ward) and Bernard Hansen (44th Ward), with Mayor Richard M. Daley. Wood said Daley "is supportive of our efforts" but hasn't formally endorsed the measure or committed to lobby for its passage.

"I expect that at the appropriate time, the mayor will make the appropriate decisions of support," Wood said.

Miranda Stevens-Miller, ITI political director, said when the group first proposed the Chicago ordinance in the fall of 2000, advocates found 20 aldermen who promised to vote for it, plus "others we feel comfortable with." Stevens-Miller said the effort to pass the ordinance has entered a new phase that will include more grassroots lobbying to firm up support on the City Council.

"Until now, this has been kept very quiet," Stevens-Miller said. "Now we're coming out, so to speak."

Ocasio said recently he wants "a firm 35 to 40" supportive votes on the City Council before he brings the measure up for a vote. Advocates have not committed to a timeline for bringing the measure up, but Wood said, "We hope action will be taken this year."

Of the 30 incidents outlined in the ITI report, 26 involved grievances that would be prohibited by the proposed Chicago ordinance, Quigley's proposed Cook County ordinance and House Bill 101. Of those, 11 involved employment discrimination, six involved denial of public accommodations, three were housing discrimination complaints and one stemmed from credit denial. There were also five allegations of discrimination against police and other government agencies.

"This report is a powerful tool," said Illinois state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), calling the document "a roadmap for us to convince Illinois legislators" to ban such discrimination.

Illinois state Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), the state's only openly gay legislator, said some lawmakers have little understanding of discrimination.

"Many of my colleagues in Springfield still need to be educated," McKeon said. "Bigotry, intolerance and hate are all driven by ignorance."

ITI compiled the report based on cases directly reported to it and Horizons Community Services, transGenesis and CCHR. ITI said, in an analysis of the cases, "It's important to point out that these are only the cases that we are aware of."

Stevens-Miller said the organization believes many incidents go unreported.