May 23, 2002 Dear Community Organization, The Chicago Commission on Human Relations is dedicated to making Chicago a truly bias-free city. We are looking for organizations to help us achieve this goal by endorsing an amendment to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance to include the category of gender identity. An ordinance, sponsored by Aldermen Bernard J. Hansen (44th Ward), Billy Ocasio (26th Ward), and Eugene Schulter (47th Ward), was introduced to amend the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and Fair Housing Ordinance by adding the category of gender identity. Gender identity, as defined by the ordinance, is "the actual or perceived appearance, expression, identity or behavior, of a person as being male or female, whether or not that appearance, expression, identity or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth." The category would include transgender people as well as men who might be perceived as "too feminine" or women who may be perceived as "too masculine." The need for this type of protection in Chicago has been well documented over the past seven years through reports on discrimination and hate crimes. Transgender people are among the most vulnerable and discriminated-against groups in Chicago, and there is currently little legal recourse that can be taken. The City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations supports the ordinance, and many Aldermen are committed to voting for it. Currently 45 jurisdictions in the United States include "gender identity" or similar language in their nondiscrimination ordinances. These include the States of Minnesota and Rhode Island, and cities from coast-to-coast and all points in between, from New York City to Seattle, from Iowa City to Atlanta. Within Illinois, the cities of Champaign, Urbana, Evanston, and DeKalb have human rights ordinances that include gender identity. Our goal is to have as many organizations as possible sign an endorsement for this legislation. We hope you will help us by signing the enclosed endorsement form and either faxing it or mailing it in the enclosed envelope to the Commission on Human Relations. If you need more information, please call me at 312-744-7911. Sincerely, William Greaves |
