As an LGBT person or a person living with HIV, do you have a Life Plan Toolbox? Would you get into a boat going out on Lake Michigan without a life preserver? Would you let your loved one do so? If your answer is no, then why would you allow you and your loved ones…
Being able to step in and make medical decisions for a seriously ill spouse is unquestioned. Being able to do so for a seriously ill gay partner is not. Unlike married couples, same-sex couples have no legal rights or protection without clear legal documents that spell them out. To be certain that medical decisions stay…
Maine voters narrowly decided to repeal a new law allowing same-sex marriage. With almost all precincts reporting, 53 percent voted to overturn the law and 47 percent voted to keep it. The bill was signed into law in May, but same-sex marriage opponents gathered more than the 55,000 signatures necessary to call for a public…
Maine voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to overturn a law allowing same-sex marriage. The law was passed last May and signed by Gov. John E. Baldacci (D). Question 1 on the ballot is titled “An Act to End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom.” The question reads: “Do you…
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 was signed into law October 28th by President Obama. The Act extends federal hate crime law to cover attacks based on sexual orientation and is the first significant expansion of federal criminal civil rights laws in more than ten years. Specifically, the…
LGBT students face harassment and discrimination on a daily basis. Students in many schools in Illinois and across the United States have established gay-straight alliances. Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) are formed and led by students who see them as a group that provides a safe place to meet as well as addresses issues of discrimination, tolerance,…
The school year is well underway for junior high and high school students. For LGBT youth and their families, school can be frightening, intimidating and dangerous. Several organizations support and advocate for LGBT junior and senior high school youth. While Chicago has numerous resources, it’s important to note the resources available throughout Illinois. According to…
Illinois is among several states that have laws which explicitly allow same-sex couples to adopt. The Illinois Adoption Act states that “a reputable person of legal age and of either sex” may petition to adopt a child. 750 ILCS 50/2. Illinois appellate courts have interpreted the Adoption Act to permit same-sex couples or lesbian or…
No. As of this writing, Illinois law does not allow two people of the same sex to marry. Even if that same-sex couple travels to and marries in a state or country that allows same-sex marriage, their marriage will not be legally recognized in Illinois. Although the state of Illinois prohibits same-sex marriage, other governmental…
A bill to legalize marriage between two adults of the same sex was introduced Thursday in the Illinois Senate by State Senator Heather Steans. This marks the first time such a bill has been up for consideration in the Senate. SB2468, known as the Equal Marriage Act, would provide for state recognition of same-sex marriage,…