WGSS and Queer Coalition host an event to advance LGBTQ+ justice in Illinois

Image courtesy of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies’ official Instagram page

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University’s Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) and the Queer Coalition hosted a Lunch ‘n’ Learn event last Thursday with Equality Illinois, the state’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

Conversation at this Lunch ‘n’ Learn focused on the challenges LGBTQ+ people face, how Illinois can keep moving forward to support LGBTQ+ people and ways people can engage in advocacy. Co-President of Queer Coalition Karmine Beecroft, shared the goal of the event.

“Just to educate the people who attended on, as I said, the state of LGBTQ rights in a legal context in Illinois specifically but also around the country,” Beecroft said. “We wanted to help our members get clarity on what’s actually happening and give them some information about being part of the democratic process.”

Director of Public Policy for Equality Illinois, Mike Ziri, spoke at the event His presentation covered how to contact your representative and some legal initiatives Equality Illinois is working on including modernizing birth certificates, LGBTQ+ HIV cultural competency provision for attorneys and judges, and expanding opportunities for gender neutral bathrooms.

Beecroft shared some statistics about the  LGBTQ+ community in Illinois Ziri mentioned.

“He got the statistics from the Williams Institute saying that LGBTQ+ people are 6 times more likely to be stopped by police than members of the general population, three times more likely to be incarcerated, 13% of queer people and 56% of trans people report they didn’t call the police when they needed help and are four times more likely to experience violent victimization,” Beecroft

Ziri’s speech helped Queer Coalition and WGSS achieve their goal of informing and empowering the audience.

“I thought it was great. It was really good to get specific statistics and see that connected to the legislative changes that queer people would like to see in Illinois and around the country,” Beecroft said.

Beecroft has been involved in Queer Coalition since the organization’s start in 2021 and has been co-president since June 2023. They provided some insight into what Queer Coalition is.

“We provide spaces for our members to speak to each other and also… we direct people to resources and also want to be able to surface our concerns with university administration,” Beecroft added.

Queer Coalition and WGSS host educational and/or social events for their members twice a semester.