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The Illinois Department of Human Services announced Monday that the new Transgender and Gender Diverse Wellness and Equity Program will provide organizations with comprehensive and medical care for transgender, gender-diverse and LGBTQ+ people.
“The state can’t give or take away who you are,” said Sasha Buchert, a senior attorney at the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Lambda Legal. “But it certainly is nice to have a gender marker that reflects who you are.”
Federal and local officials have repeatedly said they are ready for what could be one of the biggest events to hit Chicago in decades. It’s been described by one Chicago police official as bigger than the 2012 NATO Summit and 1996 Democratic National Convention.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and other local officials spoke of Chicago's historically prominent role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, while acknowledging recent threats to that progress.