Lambda Legal Illinois

If you need legal help, please contact our helpdesk. If you are interested in becoming a member of Lambda Legal or have any questions regarding your membership or a donation, please send members@lambdalegal.org an email. Our legal team, led by Christopher Clark, worked closely with Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and many local attorneys to create a bill that will not only ease the birth certificate change process for transgender and intersex people in Illinois, but also reflect the diversity of experiences within the community. “At its first opportunity to address this issue, the court methodically destroyed any justification that Hobby Lobby was trying to put forward as to why it had discriminated against Ms. Sommerville for years. The court could not have been clearer about the fact that the Illinois Human Rights Act and many other Illinois and federal laws prohibit employers from discriminating against their employees because of their gender identity, including excluding bathrooms. The Illinois Human Rights Commission was right years ago when it chose Ms. Sommerville, and it`s high time that The Hobby Lobby did the right thing and treated its transgender employees with dignity and respect,” said Kara Ingelhart, member of Lambda Legal. This decision is a victory for all transgender people in Illinois.

Many thanks to Ms. Sommerville for staying in this fight for so long. In defending herself, she defended all transgender people in Illinois and was ultimately fully justified. Congratulations to Ms. Sommerville and her legal team. “Illinois continues to move forward,” said Myles Brady Davis, director of communications and spokesman for Equality Illinois. “We thank Lambda Legal for their incredible leadership in advocating for Trans-Illinois. This decision reinforces what we already know to be true: Trans-Illinois has both a legal and moral right to be affirmed and honored for who it is and to live its life with dignity and respect. As a nation, we decided long ago that discrimination is unacceptable and that everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed in life, and that should include the trans community. Camilla B.

Taylor is Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization advocating for the full recognition of the civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive people. She is leading Lambda Legal`s legal battle challenging the Trump/Pence administration`s attack on LGBT rights. Graciela González, cell: 312-545-8140; Email: ggonzalez@lambdalegal.org If you need help with a legal issue related to sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV, please call your local Lambda legal office and ask for legal assistance. Media inquiries can be found in our media library. See Illinois Adoption Act 750 ILCS 50/2. Adoptions for co-parents approved in the application of K.M. 653 N.E.2d 888 (Fig. App.

1995); reaffirmed in In re C.M.A., 715 N.E.2d 674 (App. 1999). We will advocate for LGBTQ people and people living with HIV. Lambda Legal and Hamburg-based Sirianni Youtz Spoonemore, PLLC, have filed a federal lawsuit against the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (“BCBSIL”) administration seeking a blanket exclusion of gender reassignment care from an employer-provided health insurance plan provided by Catholic Health Initiatives Franciscan. Among the features of HB 6073 is the elimination of the need for surgery, allowing individuals and their healthcare providers to make decisions about the right treatment for them. The bill also adds language that includes intersex people who had not been previously recognized. You can also find the phone number of the nearest Lambda legal helpline: Midwest Regional Office: 312-663-4413 Washington DC Office 1776 K Street, N.W., 8th Floor Washington, DC 20006-2304 t 202-804-6245 *This office does not use help desk calls. Please contact Legal Support to send us an email or to determine which office to contact. Concerned that Myles, as a person giving birth, would automatically be listed as a “mother/co-parent” and Precious as a “father/co-parent,” an obvious mistake that could jeopardize the family`s safety due to the confusion it could cause, Myles and Precious Lambda Legal contacted for help. The lawyers prepared a plea letter for parents explaining the importance of accurate identification documents, including birth certificates, affirming and respecting transgender parents, and citing state and federal laws that support the issuance of an accurate birth certificate. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and several courts have interpreted Title VII to protect LGBT employees.

Lambda Legal believes that the EEOC`s decisions on the scope of Title VII should replace the opposing authority that exists in some federal circles. C.P. depends on health insurance provided by her mother`s employer and has been receiving necessary gender-specific medical care for the past three years. More recently, however, P.C. And her family was informed that some of her care would not be covered, as no care would be excluded “for or with sex reassignment surgery,” including the same care and medical interventions that other cisgender patients receive without questions or problems. C.P.`s family had to pay for his care out of pocket, resulting in unnecessary financial stress. Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior attorney and health care strategist Taylor, challenged states` refusal to provide equal benefits and protection in marriage to same-sex spouses and their children, citing victories in Torres v. Seemeyer, Gartner v. Iowa Department of Public Health, and Buntemeyer v. Iowa Department of Public Health on behalf of same-sex spouses, who requested exact dates of life (a birth certificate or death certificate) for their children and listed both spouses as parents confidentially regarding the presumption of spouse`s parentage. Meggan Sommerville, a Hobby Lobby employee for more than 20 years, was forced to use the men`s restroom or wait until her lunch break to use a women`s facility at a nearby store after changing jobs.

In 2013, Ms. Sommerville filed a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and on September 15, Ms. Sommerville filed a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission. In May 2015, Judge Borah found that Hobby Lobby violated Illinois Human Rights Act and concluded that Hobby Lobby “will be held responsible for the distress, fear, fear, humiliation, fear and embarrassment caused by its persistent and deep-rooted policy of prohibiting the complainant [from proper restroom]. and the delay, threats and intimidation associated with the respondents` discriminatory behaviour and enforcement,” and recommended [Hobby Lobby] $220,000 for emotional distress. Hobby Lobby thwarted the Illinois Department of Human Rights` enforcement of Judge Borah`s order and refused to do so while its appeal was pending. “All families deserve to be safe and respected, so why should our family be any different?” said Myles Brady Davis. “It`s important for us to have a birth certificate that affirms and respects who we are as a family to each other. An inaccurate birth certificate would cause confusion, and for us, it could be dangerous. What parent would accept that? “We hope IDPH will comply with Myles and Precious` request and issue a birth certificate that does not confuse them and accurately reflects their ancestry,” said Kara Ingelhart, attorney at Lambda Legal. “Illinois has been a leader in taking steps to protect, recognize, and respect the humanity and dignity of transgender and gender-conforming people, such as: facilitating access to accurate government-issued identity documents, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, and improving access to gender-specific health care for those receiving Medicaid.

In addition to her work as a litigator, Taylor has contributed to legislative efforts regarding marriage and parenthood across the country and has repeatedly testified before state legislators in favor of marriage laws and against measures that would allow discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people.