Cook County Board of Commissioners Human Relations Committee met June 28.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Board of Commissioners of Cook County
ATTENDANCE
Present: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Chairwoman Miller asked the Secretary to the Board to call upon the registered public speakers, in Accordance with Cook County Code.
1.Mark Armstrong - Chicago Urban Fine Arts Commonwealth
2. George Blakemore - Concerned citizen
3. Mike Ziri - Equality Illinois
4. Tim Wang - Howard Brown Health
23-3583
COMMITTEE MINUTES
Approval of the minutes from the meeting of 05/24/2023
A motion was made by Commissioner Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Miller, to approve 23-3583. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
23-2007
Sponsored by: MAGGIE TREVOR, KEVIN B. MORRISON, ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, MONICA GORDON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, JOSINA MORITA and TARA S. STAMPS, Cook County Board Of Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING CARE
WHEREAS, gender affirming care is crucial for trans and gender diverse children and adults to thrive, grow, and live to their fullest potential; and
WHEREAS, gender affirming care encompasses a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth; and
WHEREAS, gender affirming care has a great effect on the safety of trans and non-conforming children and adults as studies have shown a significant decrease in suicidal ideation when gender affirming care is provided; and
WHEREAS, decisions about gender-affirming care should be properly made without government intervention through shared decision-making between the patient, their family; and
WHEREAS, 29 of the leading medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Nurses, The Endocrine Society and the American Medical Association recognize the medical necessity of gender affirming care; and
WHEREAS, as a population, transgender people are less likely to be insured than both the lesbian, gay, bisexual population and general population; and among those that are insured, 25% sought coverage for hormones in the past year and were denied and 55% of adults who sought coverage for gender affirming surgery in the past year were denied; and
WHEREAS, laws in states like Arizona, Utah, South Dakota, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have banned gender affirming care including effective interventions like puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and the use of preferred pronouns in schools; and
WHEREAS, these laws give no options for transgender youth to be respected, affirmed, and supported in their communities leading to greater instances of violence towards trans children and adults; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners supports access to gender affirming care and advocating for the principles of equality, equity, and justice for the medical needs of the trans and gender diverse communities.
A motion was made by Commissioner Trevor, seconded by Commissioner Quezada, to accept as substituted 23-2007. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
A motion was made by Commissioner Trevor, seconded by Commissioner Quezada, to recommend for approval as substituted 23-2007. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
23-3023
Sponsored by: MAGGIE TREVOR, KEVIN B. MORRISON, ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, MONICA GORDON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, JOSINA MORITA and TARA S. STAMPS, Cook County Board Of Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF NON-CONFORMING GENDER EXPRESSION
WHEREAS, non-conforming gender expression and dress have been around since the beginning of human history; and
WHEREAS, gender norms are ever-changing and based on media trends, economics, society, and culture; and
WHEREAS, policing or prescribing non-conforming gender expression discriminates against people who do not fit in these norms and violates their freedom of expression; and
WHEREAS, legal enforcement of gender norms in the mid-20th Century led to raids on Gay and Lesbian bars and gathering spaces, leading to physical violence, sexual harassment and assault; and
WHEREAS, the municipalities of Bridgeview, Burbank, Justice, Lynwood, and Melrose Park still have laws on the books criminalizing non-conforming gender expression; and
WHEREAS, the state of Tennessee enacted SB 3 which criminalizes non-conforming gender expression, bans it from many private and all public areas, and categorizes it as solely “adult entertainment”; and
WHEREAS, since 2020 legislative bodies in states including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia have either proposed or enacted legislation that criminalizes or effectively bans gender non-conforming performance and expression; and
WHEREAS, the hateful and misinformed rhetoric that these laws stand for have resulted in violence, vandalism, and hate towards the LGBTQ community in Illinois and Cook County including local libraries and small businesses that create a welcoming space for drag events and expression; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners affirms the right of all individuals to dress in a manner that may not adhere to societal gender norms; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners strongly condemns the legislation passed in Tennessee and proposed in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia that ban and criminalize gender expression; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners strongly condemns the hateful, violent, and dangerous rhetoric that has been used to create false and hazardous narratives about the LGBTQ community, its leaders, and those who do not dress according to societal norms.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners hereby directs the Secretary of the Board to send a copy of this Resolution to Steven Landek - Mayor of Bridgeview, Dan Foy - Mayor of Burbank, Krysztof Wasowicz - Mayor of Justice, Jada Curry - Mayor of Lynwood, Ronald Serpico - Mayor of Melrose Park, Katie Hobbs - Governor of Arizona, Sarah Huckabee Sanders - Governor of Arkansas, Ron DeSantis - Governor of Florida, Brad Little - Governor of Idaho, Kim Reynolds - Iowa, Andy Beshear - Governor of Kentucky, Greg Gianforte - Governor of Montana, Mike Parson - Governor of Missouri, Jim Pillen - Governor of Nebraska, Doug Burgum - Governor of North Dakota, Roy Cooper - Governor of North Carolina, Kevin Stitt - Governor of Oklahoma, Henry McMaster - Governor of South Carolina, Kristi Noem - Governor of South Dakota, Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas, and Jim Justice - Governor of West Virginia.
A motion was made by Commissioner Trevor, seconded by Commissioner Quezada, to recommend for approval 23-3023. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Commissioner Anaya, seconded by Commissioner Quezada, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: K. Morrison, Anaya, Gordon, Miller, Quezada and Trevor (6)
https://cook-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1109489&GUID=7E8EE38D-BF55-46B1-94F5-6B8F47FD3133&Options=&Search=
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