lead story - Illinois Updating Birth Certificates For Transgender Dads

Preas
NBC Chicago

Chicago, IL

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please press: www.nbcchicago.com 

Illinois - Lambda to Illinois: Issue birth certificates affirming gender identities of trans parents

Press
Windy City Times

Chicago, IL

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please press:  www.windycitymediagroup.com

Illinois - Illinois Passes Gender-Neutral Bathroom Bill

Casey Leins
US News & World Report

Springfield, IL

Lincoln statue in front; state capitol in back

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Gfp-illinois-springfield-lincoln-statue.jpg

please press:  www.usnews.com

lead story - Illinois Governor Signs Order Protecting Transgender Students

Nick Visser
HuffPost

Springfield, IL

Illinois State Capitol

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Downtown_Springfield.JPG

please press:  www.huffpost.com

lead story - Wisconsin, Illinois Sued Over Transgender Name-Change Laws

AP
US News and World Report

Kenosha, WI

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please press:  www.usnews.com

civil rights - Illinois parents drop lawsuit challenging transgender bathroom access

Press
KMOV

Oh, shazam...

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please press:  www.kmov.com 

ezs note:  It's nice that the parents had the sense to drop the suit.  It would have been nicer if they had put it in the trash to begin with...

Illinois - Transgender Illinois inmate feels safer after transfer

Press
Herald-Whig

Lincoln, IL

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please press:  www.whig.com

lead story - Judge orders training on transgender issues for all Illinois prison staff amid inmate lawsuit

Angie Lourgos Leventis
Chicago Tribune

Dixon, IL

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please press:  www.chicagotribune.com

Donald Trump - The Equal Rights Amendment Was Just Ratified by Illinois. What Does That Mean?

Matthew Haag
The New York Times

Illinois State Capitol

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Illinois_State_Capitol_pano.jpg

please press:  www.nytimes.com

ezs note:  Whoa... this could be interesting.  After reading The New York Times article, it still remains murky whether it will pass or not.  On the off chance that it would, Virginia seems most likely to pass it.  Virginia, please call your state senator and your House of Delegates member and ask them to vote YES on the Equal Rights Amendment.  If nothing else, it'll put your thumb into Herr Trump's eye.

Illinois - Before they transition, some transgender youth preserve fertility by banking sperm or eggs

Angie Leventis Lourgos
Chicago Tribune

human sperm

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please press:  www.chicagotribune.com

Illinois law bars 'gay panic' defense

Staff
Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Illinois State Capitol (Springfield, IL)

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please press:  www.nwaonline.com

Forreston, Illinois

estimated transgender population:  5
(rounded up)*

Credit:  https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6164/6182024979_9e581f54d4_z.jpg

ezs note:  Just a short (relatively) distance from the gargantuan city of Chicago is one of the tinier towns, Forreston, Illinois.   Come see what this town has to offer!

*Credit:  UCLA  

East Alton,Illinois

transgender average population:  21 (rounded down)*

Credit:  https://livingnewdeal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/East-Alton-Illinois-Post-Office.jpg

ezs note:  Welcome to East Alton, Illinois!

*notes on statistics - Okay, I'm gonna get a little geeky here.  However, it's important to validate the statistics.  Ashley Smith (whose other claim to fame was a pic taken with the governor) was her claim to have 1 out of 300 people being transgender.  I looked askance at this figure - after all, I'm a stickler for accurate statistics - but they have been verified by The Williams Institute, a UCLA think tank.  Granted, this is only one study, but this is a national survey of some weight.   Therefore, I trust their study.  

Attempt To Oust Pro-Transgender Equality School Board Members Fails In Illinois

Amanda Terkel
The Huffington Post

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please press:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com

More Than 115 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Introduced in 30 States

Staff
HRC

Credit:  http://www.staggeron.org/images/jackbooted-thug-murder.jpg

please press:  http://www.hrc.org

ezs note:  In virtually every case, you should call both the state representative AND state senator.  In every case, you should state your sentiments AGAINST the bill.  Here are the states you should watch for:

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Good luck!

Groups speak out for, against transgender students' locker room access

Duaa Eldeib
Chicago Tribune

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please press:  http://www.chicagotribune.com

Letter: The two side of Donald Trump

Susan Newstat
Chicago Tribune

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please press:  http://www.chicagotribune.com

FATHER OF DEAD NAVY SEAL FROM ILLINOIS REFUSED TO MEET PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AT CEREMONY

Press
ABC7

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please press:  http://abc7chicago.com

Hundreds rally, march for transgender rights in Boystown

Marwa Eltagouri
Chicago Tribune

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please press:  http://www.chicagotribune.com

Transgender Woman Shot To Death In Englewood

Press
CBS

Tiara Richmond

Credit:  http://www.trbimg.com/img-58afd178/turbine/ct--tiara-richmond-transgender-woman-killed20170223

please press:  http://chicago.cbslocal.com

ezs note:  Please, if you have any information on the murder of Tiara Richmond, and you live or work in the Englewood section of Chicago, call the Chicago Police Department at 312-746-6000.  Thanks.