SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Statehouse will host the annual LGBTQ+ Advocacy Day on Thursday, May 8.

The event, organized by Equality Illinois, will bring LGBTQ+ advocate from across Illinois to the capital to lobby members of the state General Assembly. 

The statewide advocacy organization has organized busses from Chicago and Joliet, which are fully booked. People are encouraged from all parts of the state to attend the event and rally. 

Equality Illinois has been focusing their support on three bills during this legislative session:

Keeping Sex Workers Safe Act

HB 3518 (State Rep. Will Guzzardi)

SB 2391 (Sen. Celina Villanueva)

Full decriminalization of sex work between consenting adults. Decriminalization ensures that the government stays out of decisions between consenting adults. It also improves current and former sex workers’ access to housing, education, healthcare, and employment.

Equality for Every Family Act

HR 2683 (State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl)

SB 2507 (Sen. Don Harmon)

The Equality for Every Family Act ensures legal equality, protection, and security for all children, particularly those born through assisted reproduction and surrogacy.

Health Care Transparency Act

HB 2904 (State Rep. Dagmara Avelar)

SB 1679 (Sen. Omar Aquino)

This legislation would require hospitals to disclose to patients the LGBTQ+ care, reproductive care, and end-of -life care services they do not provide for non-medical reasons. 

The day starts at 9 a.m. at the Illinois Statehouse. For more information, go to the Equality Illinois website.