Equality Illinois

Equality Illinois (EI) was founded in 1991 to work towards building a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and social justice through education, advocacy, and protection of the rights of the LGBT community.

Equality Illinois
Equality Illinois logo
U.S. State of Illinois
Founded1991
Location
Key people
Brian C. Johnson, chief executive officer
Websiteequalityillinois.org

Structure

The Equality Illinois Institute focuses on the educational and charitable aspects of the mission. EI's initiatives extend throughout every sector of Illinois life, reaching individuals and organizations both in the LGBTQ community and society at large, across the private, public and non-profit sectors.

The Equality Illinois Political Action Committee (PAC) promotes candidates for public office who will advocate for and support legislation that advances full equality for LGBTQ individuals and families.

The organization is a member of the Equality Federation.[1]

EQIL's Work
  • Equality Illinois works with legislators in Washington, D.C. and in Springfield, as well as leaders at the local level to ensure that the LGBTQ community has a voice at the table when major decisions are made. Equality Illinois is a 501(c)(4) organization and has educational and political action affiliate organizations.[2]
  • The Equality Illinois Institute, a 501(c)(3) educational organization affiliated with Equality Illinois, focuses on the educational and charitable aspects of EI's mission. Through the Equality Illinois Institute, Equality Illinois continues to educate the public about the need to secure the rights of all Illinois citizens, couples, and families. EI's work reaches individuals and organizations both in the LGBTQ community and the general public across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.[3][4]
  • Equality Illinois PAC, a non-partisan state political action committee affiliated with Equality Illinois, fights aggressively every election cycle to recruit, support, and elect candidates who will stand up for our rights in Springfield and beyond. Equality Illinois PAC supports candidates for state, county, and local office who believe that every citizen has a basic right to equal treatment under the law regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.[5]

Equality Illinois Publications and Reports

Equality Illinois "Know Your Rights" Pamphlets

History and Past Achievements

Equality Illinois is the Midwest's largest and most influential LGBTQ civil rights organizations.[6] Among its accomplishments are:

Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act
  • Promoted, lobbied for and won passage of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act in 2013, which gave same-sex couples in Illinois the right to marry.[1]

Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act
  • Promoted, lobbied for and won passage of the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (civil union law) in 2010, which promises the same benefits, obligations and responsibilities of marriage (under state law). The major benefits include hospital visitation, healthcare decision making, inheritance and probate rights;[7]

Youth Mental Health Protection Act
  • Promoted, lobbied for and won passage of the Youth Mental Health Protection Act (conversion therapy ban) in 2015, banning the harmful practice of conversion therapy to be used on minors in the state of Illinois. The practice of gay conversion therapy was harshly criticized by Illinois mental health experts in March 2015 when a group of experts released a letter saying efforts to force LGBTQ youth to change are harmful and ineffective and urged state action to stop it.[8][9][10][11]

Safe Schools Act
  • Worked in coalition with partner groups to advance and pass the Safe Schools Act, which was signed into law in June 2010;[12]

Human Rights Act
  • Promoted, lobbied for and won passage of amendments to the Human Rights Act in 2005, prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity;[13]

Vote Naked Illinois
  • Developed a ground breaking "Get Out the Vote" campaign, Vote Naked Illinois, which received extensive media coverage statewide and around the globe. The campaign led to over 75,000 mail-in votes in the 2010 election in Cook County/City of Chicago alone.[14]
  • Registered thousands of new Illinois voters, and developed a strong network of over 17,000 human rights supporters throughout Illinois and beyond;
  • Educated and informed citizens of Illinois and members of the General Assembly, and worked to raise awareness of issues confronting LGBTQ individuals in the community and workplace;[15]

Fair Illinois
  • Equality Illinois also joined with three other organizations to launch the Fair Illinois initiative dedicated to opposing an anti-gay marriage advisory referendum proposed for the November 2006 ballot. This massive undertaking involve the review of more than 345,000 individual petition signatures, a challenge met entirely by volunteers. After months of challenges, fairness finally won out in September 2006.[16]

Other Accomplishments
  • Expanded statewide grassroots support for LGBTQ issues and initiatives, individually, as well as in partnership with religious institutions and other community organizations;
  • Targeted information and services to populations that have been disenfranchised, such as women, minorities and youth;
  • Assisted businesses in development of welcoming and inclusive workplace policies;[17][18]
  • Conducted polls and surveys of public attitudes on civil rights issues;[19]
  • Worked to educate the media and encourage public discussion about these issues.[20]

[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]

Illinois Unites for Marriage Coalition

In 2012-2013, Equality Illinois played a significant role advocating for same-sex marriage in Illinois. The organization partnered with Lambda Legal and ACLU of Illinois to create the Illinois Unites for Marriage coalition to push for the bill. The same-sex marriage bill passed the legislature in 2013 and was signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn on Nov. 20, 2013.

Annual Gala

The Equality Illinois Gala, annually the largest LGBTQ event of its kind in the Midwest, is held every winter to celebrate the previous year's achievements for the Illinois LGBTQ community. This year’s event will celebrate Equality Illinois’ 25th Anniversary Jubilee Year and is expected to draw more than 1,400 guests, including nearly 100 public officials and many community VIPs.[34]

Freedom Award

The Equality Illinois Freedom Award is given annually at the Equality Illinois gala to celebrate exemplary allies of the Illinois LGBTQ community. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will accept the recognition at the Equality Illinois 25th Anniversary Gala on February 6, 2016. Past Freedom Award winners include Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, state Rep. Greg Harris, the late state Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch, the late state Rep. Mark Beaubien Jr., state Sen. Heather Steans, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, the Chicago Urban League, entertainer Lea DeLaria, the TransLife Center of Chicago House and filmmaker Lana Wachowski.[34][35]

Honors

In 2005 Equality Illinois was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.[36]

Equality Illinois' new logo was unveiled on January 14, 2016. The modern, bright logo represents refreshed vigor for the work of the next quarter century. The new slogan–UNTIL WE'RE ALL EQUAL–summarizes the LGBTQ organization's mission to "build a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and social justice through education, advocacy and protection of the rights of the LGBTQ community."[37] In the wake of high-profile successes, the organization retooled their organization to build an Equality Illinois that is ready for the next phase of the movement.[38]

See also

References
  1. "Equality Illinois - Mission and Accomplishments". Equality Illinois. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  2. "Gay activists to lobby for state gay marriage law". WGN. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  3. "Equality Illinois holds public forums to discuss new marriage laws". dot429. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. Duncan, Dustin (13 December 2013). "Same-sex marriage law discussed in Carbondale". The Southern Illinoisan.
  5. "Equality Illinois Rolls Out 'Fight Back for Marriage' Campaign". Progress Illinois. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  6. "Equality Illinois". Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  7. "Equality Illinois sets date for Civil Unions Lobby Day". chicagonow.com. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  8. "Conversion Therapy Ban « Equality Illinois". Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  9. "Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB0217". www.ilga.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  10. "Illinois Bans Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors". Time. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  11. "Mental Health Experts Support Therapy Ban « Equality Illinois". Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  12. "Gov. Pat Quinn Signs Safe Schools Act". You Tube. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  13. "Catherine Sikora". Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  14. "Illinois Votes Naked". Huff Post Chicago. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  15. "Equality Illinois Lobby Day". The Vital Voice. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  16. "Illinois - Gay marriage referendum off the ballot!". Daily Kos. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  17. "Thirty-seven Illinois Law Firms Top Equality Illinois Corporate Responsibility Survey" (PDF). Equality Illinois. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  18. "Group Honors Law Firms That Promote Equality" (PDF). Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. July 30, 2010.
  19. "Report: Many Difficulties For Couples In Civil Unions One Year Later". CBS Chicago. June 1, 2012.
  20. Hinz, Greg (Jan 31, 2012). "Trib vet snags gay gig". Crain's Chicago Business.
  21. "Equality Illinois PAC". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  22. "Equality Illinois". Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  23. "Gay marriage supporters rejoice in Chicago". The Chicago Tribune. November 5, 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  24. "Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame". Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  25. "LGBT/Queer Studies and Services Institute". Illinois State University. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  26. "Equality Illinois PAC Endorses Gov. Pat Quinn". Chicago Now. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  27. "Illinois Unites for Marriage Coalition". Illinois Unites for Marriage Coalition. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  28. "Momentum for Same-Sex Marriage Brings Together New Illinois Coalition". American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  29. "Illinois Unites for Marriage Coalition". Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  30. "Marriage Equality Coalition to Kick Off Statewide Campaign Next Week". Progress Illinois. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  31. "Join the Illinois Unites for Marriage Coalition for a Phone Bank". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  32. "Illinois Unites issues plan for marriage equality". Chicago Pride. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  33. "Same-sex marriage group says 3,000 expected at Wednesday at UIC Forum bill signing". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  34. "Nancy Pelosi « Equality Illinois". Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  35. "EQIL Honors Lea DeLaria with Freedom Award « Equality Illinois". Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  36. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2015-11-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. http://www.equalityillinois.us/our-work-2/accomplishments-mission/
  38. "New Look « Equality Illinois". Retrieved 2019-05-31.

Official website

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