Statement of John Knight, Director
ACLU of Illinois Gay and Lesbian Rights Project
Re: Passage of Senate Bill 3186 by Illinois General Assembly
January 11, 2005

We welcome the Illinois House action today assuring final passage of Senate Bill 3186 – a measure extending basic fairness to gay men, lesbians and transgender persons across Illinois. We urge the Governor to act quickly to sign this important legislation into law. Once enacted, this measure will remove one of the last forms of legally sanctioned discrimination in our state and ensure fair and equal treatment for all persons in Illinois. Rather than give any “special” rights, Senate Bill 3186 embraces America’s most basic value – fairness – by creating a level playing field for all persons in pursuing their daily lives.

All persons in Illinois benefit by this and other laws that promote and advance equal treatment. We applaud the General Assembly for taking this critically important step to protect our neighbors, friends, colleagues and family members who have been discriminated against based upon their sexual orientation and gender identity.