{"id":74905,"date":"2019-01-25T15:47:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T21:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=74905"},"modified":"2019-01-28T12:29:24","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T18:29:24","slug":"eleven-chicago-mayoral-candidates-stress-lgbtq-issues-and-positions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/eleven-chicago-mayoral-candidates-stress-lgbtq-issues-and-positions\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven Chicago mayoral candidates stress LGBTQ issues and positions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ariana Puzzo<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Eleven Chicago mayoral candidates stressed the importance of an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum in city schools and the elimination of workplace discrimination. They spoke at a public forum on Saturday at the Second Presbyterian Church, one of several mayoral forums on city policies.<\/p>\n

LGBTQ community organizations invited the candidates to speak so residents are educated about each candidate\u2019s position and platforms regarding LGBTQ Chicagoans, said Anthony Galloway, the director of civic engagement for Equality Illinois. Equality Illinois was among the organizations involved in the forum, along with others including the Chicago Black Gay Men\u2019s Caucus, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and Pride Action Tank.<\/p>\n

The candidates focused first on how to address high LGBTQ unemployment rates. Attorney John Kozlar said, as mayor, he wants to hire people on his staff who are part of the LGBTQ community to address such challenges since they are aware of the issues.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re talking about this issue like we\u2019re in the 1970s and that\u2019s wrong,\u201d Kozlar said. \u201cWe just have to treat people fairly and that\u2019s what you will get under Mayor Kozlar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2019
Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-8th) is one of the candidates who says working with the LGBTQ community to address high unemployment rates is important. (Ariana Puzzo\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other candidates, including Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-8th), agreed that tackling unemployment meant working with the community and that discrimination was not acceptable.<\/p>\n

The candidates also addressed education and bullying. Each candidate discussed actions and polices they will take to protect LGBTQ young people and transgender students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a former teacher,\u201d said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. \u201cI spent 10 years in a classroom and I know how important it is that our schools be safe and supportive places for our students, and it\u2019s hard to learn when you feel afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others along with Preckwinkle proposed insuring an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum for Chicago Public Schools.<\/p>\n

Attorney Lori Lightfoot, the only openly LGBTQ candidate, discussed her \u201ccomprehensive LGBTQ policy\u201d released last year. The policy includes a plan for an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum in CPS. She also proposed schools be equipped with social workers for students struggling with coming out.<\/p>\n

Lightfoot said LGBTQ youth homelessness must also be acknowledged and addressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to recognize that many of the homeless youth in our city are from our community,\u201d Lightfoot said. \u201c[We need to] make sure we have 24-hour walk-in shelters and places for them to go so it\u2019s not just a \u2018You can stay there until 9 o\u2019clock and then you\u2019re out on the street.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Lightfoot won a characteristic round of applause from the audience.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Chicago residents and members of the LGBTQ community fill the lower half of Second Presbyterian Church to hear the positions of Chicago mayoral candidates on LGBTQ issues. The candidates thanked the residents for attending despite earlier snowfall. (Ariana Puzzo\/Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The candidates answered questions about what each of them and their administration would do to ensure that LGBTQ immigrants are protected in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandparents came here from Mexico to look for a better life and I saw them struggle \u2026 this is personal to me,\u201d Gery Chico said.<\/p>\n

Chico is a former chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley, former president of the board of Chicago Public Schools\u00a0 and a 2011 mayoral candidate who was defeated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.<\/p>\n

Galloway said the conversation on these issues did not begin or end at the forum.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a continued conversation,\u201d Galloway said. \u201cThe forum is certainly a mechanism in making sure that we keep these issues on top for the candidates at large.\u201d<\/p>\n

A calendar of future forums extend to the Chicago mayoral election\u00a0 on Feb. 26.<\/p>\n

Jan. 25<\/strong> \u2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum at the Lincoln Ballroom<\/a>
\nJan. 26<\/strong> \u2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum at St. Monica Catholic Parish<\/a>
\nJan. 27<\/strong> \u2013 ATU Transit 4 All Mayoral Candidate Forum<\/a>
\nJan. 28<\/strong> \u2013 Mayoral Forum on Civil Rights<\/a>
\nJan. 29<\/strong> \u2013 Kennedy-King College \u2013 Mayoral Candidates Forum<\/a>
\nJan. 30<\/strong> \u2013 49th Ward Meet the Mayoral Candidates<\/a>
\nJan. 31<\/strong> \u2013 Chicago Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education<\/a>
\nFeb. 2<\/strong> \u2013 Women\u2019s Mayoral Forum<\/a>
\nFeb. 5<\/strong> \u2013 Chicago Communities Mayoral Forum at Theodore Roosevelt High School<\/a>
\nFeb. 7<\/strong> \u2013 Chicago Small Business Mayoral Candidate Forum<\/a>
\nFeb. 10<\/strong> \u2013 2019 Chicago Mayoral Arts Forum<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo at top: Lori Lightfoot, the only openly LGBTQ candidate, addresses those in attendance on Saturday at the Chicago mayoral candidates forum on LGBTQ issues, held at the Second Presbyterian Church. Lightfoot received consistent rounds of applause from community members as she discussed her proposed actions and policies. (Ariana Puzzo\/Medill)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ariana Puzzo Medill Reports Eleven Chicago mayoral candidates stressed the importance of an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum in city schools and the elimination of workplace discrimination. They spoke at a public forum on Saturday at the Second Presbyterian Church, one of several mayoral forums on city policies. LGBTQ community organizations invited the candidates to speak so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":533,"featured_media":74921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,2952,675,4559],"tags":[192],"class_list":["post-74905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-interest","category-politics","category-social-justice","category-winter-2019","tag-promo"],"yoast_head":"\nEleven Chicago mayoral candidates stress LGBTQ issues and positions - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/eleven-chicago-mayoral-candidates-stress-lgbtq-issues-and-positions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eleven Chicago mayoral candidates stress LGBTQ issues and positions - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Ariana Puzzo Medill Reports Eleven Chicago mayoral candidates stressed the importance of an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum in city schools and the elimination of workplace discrimination. 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