You are here

Home › Legal Work › In Your State ›

Illinois

Legal Work

Help us make the case for equality.

DONATE NOW

Events

Tulsa Pride
06/02/2012 (All day)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Queens Pride Multicultural Festival
06/03/2012 (All day)
Queens, New York
New Jersey Pride
06/03/2012 (All day)
Asbury Park, New Jersey
All

National Sponsors

Statewide Relationship Recognition
no Licenses marriages for same-sex couples.
no Honors marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictions
yes Relationship recognition for same-sex couples: civil unions.
  • 2010 Civil union law enacted, effective June 1, 2011. Allows same-sex and different-sex couples to enter into a civil union and receive "the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois to spouses." Please join our Illinois Civil Union Tracker.
  • 1996 Anti-marriage bill adopted. Prohibits marriages "between two individuals of the same sex" and declares such lawful marriages to be "against public policy." See Illinois Compiled Statues, Chapter 750 §§ 5/201, 5/212 and 5/213.1.

Statewide Employment Protections
yes Private employment protections based on sexual orientation.
yes Private employment protections based on gender identity.
yes Public (state) employment protections based on sexual orientation.
- Public (state) employment protections based on gender identity.

See 775 ILCS 5/1-103 and 775 ILCS 5/1-102.

  • 2005 Sexual orientation and gender identity were added to the Illinois Human Rights Act. Senate Bill 3186, an amendment to existing law, signed by Governor Rod Blagojevich on 1/21/05

Statewide Parenting Laws
Who May Adopt Any person. 750 ILCS 50/2
Second Parent Adoptions Approved in Petition of K.M. 653 N.E.2d 888  (Ill. App. 1995); reaffirmed in In re  C.M.A., 715 N.E.2d 674 ( Ill. App. 1999)
Notes Permits individual, joint and second parent adoption.

Regional Offices Information

National Headquarters

Midwest Region

Midwest Regional Office
11 East Adams
Suite 1008
Chicago , Illinois , 60603-6303
312-663-4413
www.lambdalegal.org/mro
Region Includes:
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

South Central Region

South Central Regional Office
3500 Oak Lawn Avenue
Suite 500
Dallas , Texas , 75219-6722
214-219-8585
www.lambdalegal.org/scro
Region Includes:
Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Southern Region

Southern Regional Office
730 Peachtree Street, NE
Suite 1070
Atlanta , Georgia , 30308-1210
404-897-1880
www.lambdalegal.org/sro
Region Includes:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Western Region

Western Regional Office
3325 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 1300
Los Angeles , California , 90010-1729
213-382-7600
www.lambdalegal.org/wro
Region Includes:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai`i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Related Content for region

10/20/2011
Lambda Legal Elects Board Co-Chair and New Member from Chicago
Robbin Burr, former Executive Director of Center on Halsted, elected Board Co-chair and Gail Morse, Partner and tax attorney for Jenner & Block, elected new Board Member
8/18/2011
Court Rules Against Catholic Charities in Foster-Care Case
In response to the court's swift decision in Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois et al. v. Illinois et al, Lambda Legal's Marriage Project Director Camilla Taylor issued the following statement:
8/16/2011
Lambda Legal Represents Child Welfare Groups in Catholic Charities Lawsuit Against State of Illinois
(Chicago, IL, August 16, 2011) - Today Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of several child welfare organizations including the Evan B. Donaldson Institute, the National Association of Social Workers and its Illinois chapter in a case brought by four Dioceses of Catholic Charities against the state of Illinois. These Dioceses seek to force the state to fund their foster care services even though they refuse to follow state law by licensing couples in civil unions as foster parents, claiming they are exempt from state nondiscrimination requirements on religious grounds.
1/31/2011
Illinois Governor Signs Civil Union Bill into Law, Lambda Legal and Partners Launch Civil Union Tracker
Today Governor Quinn will sign the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, which will go into effect June 1, 2011. To support families protected by the new law, Lambda Legal and Equality Illinois launched Civil Union Tracker.
12/13/2006
Mitchell v. Bremen Community High School District No. 228 and Gleason, et al.
Case arguing against the termination of a school superintendent because he is gay
8/16/2011
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield-in-Illinois et al. v. Illinois et al.
Adoption and parenting case in which Catholic Charities sued Illinois to force the state to renew a contract for foster care services while excluding couples in civil unions from being eligible foster parents.
1/17/2008
Turner v. White
Case seeking access to legal proceedings for a name change and waiver of fees on behalf of transgender woman
4/18/2006
Noble Street Gay Straight Alliance v. Noble Network of Charter Schools
Case arguing for students' rights under the First Amendment to form a gay-straight alliance and to be treated equally

join us on:

FacebookTwitterYouTubeRSS Feeds

 

National Office

120 Wall Street
19th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-809-8585