As June comes to a close, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed two pieces of legislation to honor Pride Month.
Senate Bill 2930 requires nonprofits now publicly report demographic information about their boards of directors, helping to encourage nonprofits to reflect the diversity of the communities they aim to support.
In Illinois, certain private companies and boards and commissions are already required to report aggregated demographic data about their boards of directors, but SB2930 expands that requirement to include the leadership boards of nonprofits that report $1 million or more in annual grants. These statistics, available for at least three years on an organization’s website, are intended to assess each nonprofit’s leadership strengths and opportunities for growth and to implement strategies to recruit qualified individuals from diverse communities for board service.
House Bill 5507 meanwhile formally removes several technical barriers to the process of changing legal gender on a birth certificate for Illinois residents born elsewhere in the country.
Many states require a court order to change one’s legal gender marker on a birth certificate, creating a significant barrier to access for transgender individuals seeking to affirm their gender identity. HB5507 grants Illinois judges authority to issue documentation to support those gender marker corrections, allowing Illinois residents to access this change without the expense of returning to their state of origin.
“Here in Illinois, we reject hate, bigotry, and discrimination and embrace the ethos of Pride through not only our laws but through our actions and shared values,” said Governor Pritzker. “These bills expand on my administration’s work to better serve the LGBTQ+ community of Illinois, and I’m honored to sign them during this historic month of celebration and remembrance.”
LGBT advocacy groups across the state praised the government for the new legislation.
Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois commented, “In a year when more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed by anti-equality, anti-family politicians in state capitols across the country, Illinois once again demonstrates, with Gov. Pritzker’s approval of SB 2930 and HB 5507, that she is a national leader in welcoming and affirming LGBTQ+ people.”
Region: Springfield,Feeds,News,Prairie,Region: Central,City: Springfield
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June 30, 2024 at 08:08PM
Illinois Delivered 