Page 31 - Equality Illinois News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Equality Illinois hopes deputy will bring people of color, trans to their work Mon. May 24, 2021 10:07 AM by Gerald Farinas photo credit // facebook.com/monyrv Equality Illinois—the largest LGBTQ lobby group in Illinois—has hired attorney Mony Ruiz-Velasco as its first deputy director. She will assume the position on July 15. Ruiz-Velasco, a Latinx woman who has long advocated immigrant rights in her legal profession, helps bring leadership diversity to an organization that was once criticized for its perception as a fundraising club of white...

A Love Story That Birthed an Iconic Gay Bar and a Lifetime of Activism Chicago activist and bar owner Art Johnston and his partner in life and business, Pepe Peña, star in the upcoming film, Art and Pep. May 15 2021 12:09 PM EDT A guy walks into a bar — and it changes his life, along with the lives of many other LGBTQ+ people. That’s what happened to Art Johnston, who found his life partner and life’s calling because he went into a Chicago gay bar in 1973. The attractive bartender he met that night, José Pepe Peña, became the love of his life. Together they opened Sidetrack, one o...

BG Pride Drive returns June 6 for Pride Month Wed. May 12, 2021 9:02 AM by Ross Forman photo credit // ross forman 100-plus homes and businesses are stops on the rainbow journey The numbers tell the tale for the upcoming BG Pride Drive, which should far surpass the 2020 edition – and last year's vehicular pride celebration was a resounding success on a sun-soaked Sunday to kick off June. Just consider some of what's on tap in northwest suburb Buffalo Grove on June 6 for the 3-hour event that starts at 12 noon: -There are 100-plu...

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that Illinois will enter the “bridge” phase to full reopening on Friday, May 14. And barring any reversal of current trends, Phase 5, or full reopening, will begin June 11. He also announced that residents can now obtain COVID-19 vaccines from their physicians’ offices, rather than just designated vaccine sites, as public health officials continue to confront hesitancy within many communities to accept the vaccines. Thursday’s announcement came as the state reached a new benchmark of having 55% of adults age 16 and over, ...

Updated 5/4/2021 8:15 AM For decades, those closest to Danielle Aylward, McHenry Township's clerk, have known she was transgender. Late last week, Aylward, who is in the process of transitioning from a male to a female and prefers the pronouns she and her, made everyone else aware of how she has long identified to her family and friends by coming out as trans on social media.   Danielle Aylward, who won reelection last month as McHenry Township's clerk while on the ballot as Dan Aylward, became McHenry County's first openly transgender elected official when she came out on Facebook. While ma...