New hospital visitation and representations rights for LGBT couples have been finalized by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid released new guidelines solidifying the memorandum President Obama released earlier in the year stating that all hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds allow patients to designate their own…
Read More...
Illinois State Representative Deborah Mell married Christin Baker, her partner of 7 years, in Iowa over the weekend, making her the first high-profile elected official in the state to publicly enter into a same-sex marriage: “Our relationship deserves marriage,” said a beaming Mell, her newly wedding-banded hand resting on Baker’s shoulder Tuesday. “That’s how I…
Read More...
A lawyer representing Catholic Charities in Illinois has now said they will appeal a circuit judge’s recent decision saying that the state was not required to continue contracting adoption and foster services with the religious organization in four different dioceses: Peter Breen said the group will ask for a stay of Sangamon County, Ill., Circuit…
Read More...
Marriage Equality USA has put together a handy chart on where all of the 2012 candidates for President stand on a variety of rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Take a look at where they are at on basic issues like employment protections, military service, adoption, and relationship recognition. It’s important to educate…
Read More... A judge in Sangamon County, Illinois has ruled that the state does not have to renew its foster and adoption contracts with Catholic Charities. Illinois ended the over $30 million dollars in annual contracts last month after Catholic Charities said it would refuse to follow the newly passed civil unions law and offer its tax-payer…
Read More...
More news from the ever-evolving case of Catholic Charities versus the state of Illinois over the newly passed civil unions law. Lambda Legal, the national legal organization committed to the civil rights of LGBT people, has filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of several child welfare organizations including the Evan B. Donaldson Institute, the National…
Read More...
The Catholic Church in Illinois just can’t keep out of the news lately… And none of it is good. The Diocese of Belleville has finally paid the jury-awarded judgement to a man who was sexually abused as a child by a priest for over five years at St. Theresa’s Parish in Salem, Illinois. The payment…
Read More...
The Movement Advancement Project has added an extremely informative interactive map for a state’s LGBT rights info: MAP’s Equality Maps provide quick and easy summaries of laws that affect LGBT Americans on a state-by-state and issue-by-issue basis. The maps present information on laws in areas from employment discrimination and relationship recognition to hate crimes protections…
Read More...
It seems like couples are still lining up to get civil unions at a steady pace in Cook County. The county clerk’s office issued 831 civil union licenses in June and another 125 in the first half of June. The Tribune breaks it down: So far the clerk’s office has brought in more than $37,000…
Read More...
Illinois has decided to end its involvement and financial contracts for Catholic Charities’ adoption and foster services in the wake of the religious organization’s refusal to follow the state’s new civil unions law and existing anti-discrimination policies. A judge has, however, temporarily reinstated contracts between the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Catholic…
Read More...
