File #: 23-3023    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 5/16/2023 In control: Human Relations Committee
On agenda: 5/25/2023 Final action: 6/29/2023
Title: 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...
Sponsors: 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, TARA S. STAMPS

title

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.

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