Del Valle for Mayor | For All Chicago For Every Neighborhood: Miguel del Valle on Issues of Importance to the LGBT Community

Del Valle for Mayor | For All Chicago For Every Neighborhood: Miguel del Valle on Issues of Importance to the LGBT Community

7:17 AM (1 hour ago)

Miguel del Valle on Issues of Importance to the LGBT Community

by Nom de com

The ongoing work of the LGBT community to promote their own equal treatment
in daily life and under the law is one of the most important civil rights efforts of our
times. As a result, we live in a society that is more inclusive and fairer than ever
before, although there is obviously much more to be done.

As a State Senator, I consistently supported issues that are important to the LGBT
community, including the 2005 law that added protections against discrimination
in employment, housing and other areas based on sexual orientation to the Illinois
Human Rights Act. I also voted in favor of legislation establishing hate crimes based
on sexual orientation and worked to maintain funding for HIV/AIDS outreach in
minority communities when cuts were proposed.

I applaud the recent passage of state law allowing for civil unions and I believe that
government should respect the rights of same sex couples to marry.

As Mayor, I will support policies to increase equal opportunities for all people
regardless of their sexual orientation and sexual identity, including:

• Publicly celebrating June, 1, 2011, the first day that a Chicago couple will be able to enter into civil union in accordance with new state law.
  

• On an ongoing basis, I will use the “bully pulpit” of the mayor’s office to express my opinion that in accordance with the United States Constitution we need to continue working so that all levels of government need adopt a legal definition of marriage that does create “separate but equal” categories for heterosexual and homosexual couples.
  

• Providing all benefits to domestic partners in accordance with the state civil unions law, including access