Gay Rights

The Benefits Of Same-Sex Benefits

Adam Doster — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:03 -0700

Just over two years ago, Gov. Blagojevich signed an administrative order extending health, dental, and vision insurance coverage to same-sex partners of state employees. In doing so, Illinois joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia in providing equal services to all its public workers. According to a new study (PDF) by the Center for American Progress, it was a valuable move -- inclusive benefits laws have virtually no downsides and come with a few perks, too:

Minimal costs: The benefits would create only a marginal added cost. In Iowa, for example, only 0.5 percent of benefit spending goes toward domestic partners. Even this percentage is higher than we expect the federal government would experience, since many states include both same-sex and different-sex partners in their domestic partner benefit programs, unlike the proposed federal program.

Higher retention and recruitment rates: Gay and lesbian employees often cite benefit programs as a key factor in their decision to leave or stay at a job. As more private-sector employers offer domestic partner benefits, states such as Vermont and Washington have found that matching this benefit helps them to attract the best workforce

Strong public support: When Arizona considered offering domestic partner benefits in 2006, 787 of the 913 public comments concerning the decision were supportive of extending the benefits. Recent polling also shows that 69 percent of Americans believe that same-sex partners should receive benefits.

No comparable law exists at the federal level, although six Illinois Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors to the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2007, which should be passed soon.

(H/T Progressive States Network)

CPS Considers LGBTQA High School

Adam Doster — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:02:31 -0700

Here's a bit of cool news from last week. The Greater Lawndale Little Village School for Social Justice has submitted a proposal to the Chicago Public Schools to open LGBTQA high school within the city's borders:

The Greater Lawndale Little Village School for Social Justice submitted the proposal to the CPS Office of New Schools for a Social Justice High School-Pride Campus. This project has been in the works since spring of this year. If approved, Pride Campus, a voluntary public high school that would implement a college prep curriculum in all subject areas, would open in 2010. It would serve LGBTQA ( lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning and allied ) students from all over the city.

If opened, the school will follow the model of the Harvey Milk High School in Manhattan: while open to all, it was built as a safe haven for LGBTQA students, especially those who have experienced extreme levels of violence and harassment. Bill Greaves, a member of the proposed school's design team, told the Windy City Times that a location has yet to be chosen, but he hopes it will be centrally located, allowing easy access for students city-wide.

CPS will hold a community hearing on Sept. 18 at the Center on Halsted (3656 N. Halsted) before announcing its decision by the end of October. I've seen up close the outstanding work teachers and the faculty do at the social justice branch of LVLHS, so this is a project I plan to keep an eye on.

(H/T Gapers Block)

Conservative Movement Explained In A Single Anecdote

Adam Doster — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:36:40 -0700

Buried in this Daily Herald article about former Speaker Denny Hastert's quick turn into the world of lobbying is this gem of a paragraph.

Since Hastert's hiring, some of his former conservative supporters expressed dismay at his joining a firm whose Web site touts a diversified workplace in which "gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals enjoy an atmosphere of inclusion and respect," enrich the firm and enhance its service.

For conservatives, it's of no concern that the man who was second in line to the presidency is already advising one of the nation's most influential energy and tobacco lobbying firms -- just a year after stepping down from his post in Washington. It's of no concern that, prior to his departure from Congress, Hastert himself spearheaded efforts to tighten the rules governing lobbyists' access to lawmakers.

Nope, what matters is that the firm he chose to work for treats gay people with respect. You can't make this stuff up.

Will CA Ruling Boost IL Civil Unions Bill?

Josh Kalven — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:19:46 -0700

So hopes the sponsor of that legislation, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago).

His civil unions measure would give same-sex couples in Illinois equal rights and access to benefits. He has previously said he's confident he can garner enough support in the House to pass the bill by the end of the year. Now, in the wake of a California Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, many are wondering whether Illinois could be next state to make national headlines on the issue, as the State Journal-Register reports:

“To have an anchor on each coast (California and Massachusetts) is a very positive step. Now, we need something somewhere near the center. How would Illinois be?” [gay rights advocate Buff] Carmichael said.

It would be OK with state Rep. Greg Harris, the Chicago Democrat sponsoring House Bill 1826 that would legalize civil unions in Illinois.

He said he hopes the California court’s decision “sets a tone” that will bolster support for his bill. [...]

“But I hope my colleagues look at this and say: This is a trend. It’s the right thing to do. It’s what people across the United States want. They want basic fairness and equality,” he said.

Of course, Harris goes on to acknowledge the distinction between civil unions and same-sex marriage. He says of the possibility of legalizing gay marriage in the Prairie State, “I hope one day we’ll reach a broader consensus here in Illinois, but that day is not here yet.”

(Click "Read More" to continue reading ...)

The Register goes on to provide some real-world context for these proposals:

Springfield resident Jane Stricklin has been in a same-sex relationship since 1986. She and her partner are raising four children.

“I would like to have the full benefit of the law. I think there ought to be equality under the law for people in same-sex relationships,” Stricklin said.

One example she gives is the ability to visit a partner who is in the hospital. Since she and her partner aren’t married, Stricklin worries that they might not be able to see each other if one of them ends up in a hospital and only family are allowed in.

Physicians here have always been understanding, but it might be different elsewhere, Stricklin said.

“We travel a lot. It does worry me that something might happen,” she said.

Former State Rep. Larry McKeon Dies

Josh Kalven — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:43:07 -0700

Larry McKeon, the first openly gay state legislator in Illinois, died yesterday in Springfield at the age of 63. From the Tribune:

An Army veteran and former lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, McKeon came to Chicago in the 1980s to pursue a degree in social service administration.

He worked as a director at United Charities and became involved with gay activist groups, leading to his run for political office. In 1992, he was hired as executive director of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, serving as Mayor Richard Daley’s liaison to gay and lesbian leaders in the city.

McKeon was elected to the House in 1996 by voters in the North Side’s 34th District. During that campaign, he acknowledged being HIV-positive.

One of his major legislative priorities was to expand gay rights. In 2005, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law a measure that added sexual orientation to the state’s human rights act banning discrimination against gays and lesbians by landlords, real estate agents, employers and lenders.

9,000 Join IL Student's Civil Union Facebook Page

Josh Kalven — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:24:57 -0700

Back in March, we noted how a Facebook group created by Lake Forest College sophomore Phil Miatkowski to rally support for Illinois Rep. Greg Harris' (D-Chicago) civil union bill had attracted over 8,000 members. Well, the AP is reporting today that that number has climbed to nearly 9,000:

At first, his site detailed the bill's progress for friends, who began inviting hundreds of other friends.

Within weeks, Miatkowski and students from across the state organized online "rallies" to flood legislators with e-mails, faxes and phone calls. Members also have held petition drives at train stations, written editorials and set up campus events.

The group's efforts made enough of an impression that Illinois lawmakers mentioned it to Harris, sponsor of the civil unions bill. Harris contacted Miatkowski and other student leaders to discuss how to gather more momentum on the bill.

"This is an organic thing. That's the exciting thing about it," Harris said. "There's no way I could talk to 9,000 individuals from every county in this state and get them on board with this. They did this themselves."

Harris' bill would give same-sex couples in Illinois equal rights and access to benefits. It advanced out of committee earlier this year and Harris says he's confident it will pass the full House before the year is over. You can learn more about the measure and the Illinoisans it would affect at CivilUnionsIllinois.org.

Illinois Anti-Gay Marriage Campaign Fails

Mose Buchele — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:38:08 -0700

The conservative group Protect Marriage Illinois needed to gather about 270,000 signatures by Monday in order to put an advisory referendum on the November 4 ballot to move towards making gay marriage unconstitutional. But The Rockford Register-Star reports that they missed the State Board of Elections deadline.

Cue the trombones.

Protect Marriage Illinois didn't return calls to the Register-Star, so it's not clear how many signatures they did in fact gather. Nonetheless, their failure to pass the necessary threshold calls into question whether the initiative would have passed even if it had made it on the ballot.

HB 1826: From Facebook To The House Floor

Mose Buchele — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:41:08 -0700

Over at his blog, Hiram Wurf has a post up about House Bill 1826 and the grassroots movement that has risen up to support it.

The story begins with a Facebook page, “Students for the Illinois Marriage Equality Bill”, which attracted over 8,000 online members and ultimately the attention of one state legislator:

State Representative Greg Harris, an advocate of Civil Unions recognized that these self-organized, grassroots voices represented an important part of an activist movement to support his House Bill 1826, historic legislation to extend basic legal protections to committed opposite-sex, same-sex and senior couples in Illinois by creating civil unions. Now there is a website.

That website, CivilUnionsIllinois.org, is a helpful clearinghouse for information about the fight for equal domestic partnership rights, and it offers suggestions on how to get involved. For instance, the site provides a ready-made letter that you can send to your representatives in the statehouse, urging them to support HB 1826.

Wurf has also collected some compelling stories about real Illinoisans who would benefit from the passage of this common sense legislation.