News & Commentary

Toda

12/13/12 UPDATE: Legislative leaders announced plans to push for a vote on the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in early January.

Acco

Over the past few years, the ACLU of Illinois has been working to ensure that transgender individuals who were born in Illinois are able to obtain an Illinois birth certificate with the correct gender marker.  Recently, we reached an agreement, in the form of a proposed consent decree with the State of Illinois that insures that individuals can obtain a new, accurate birth certificate without being forced to undergo genital surgery that they may not need or want, or that may not be available to them.  The court has preliminarily approved the consent decree. The next step in the process is for the judge to hold a "fairness hearing" on the matter -- set for October 23, 2012.  If you believe you are a member of the class of those affected by the settlement (the class definition is listed below), you are permitted to make comments about or objections to the proposed consent decree before it receives final approval.  You can find the details below, or by downloading this PDF.

Recently, the ACLU and numerous allied coalition partners wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to request that HHS issue guidance to make clear that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s prohibition on sex discrimination applies to discrimination based on gender identity and sex stereotypes.  The fact that someone is transgender or does not conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity should never be a barrier to accessing health care services.