(From an Aug. 22 press release)
Governor JB Pritzker announced on Aug. 21 the launch of IL Pride Connect, a new statewide resource hub and first of its kind legal hotline that expands access to legal information and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals across Illinois. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in collaboration with community partners, will lead the initiative. Governor Pritzker made the announcement at an event Thursday evening hosted by the Legal Council for Health Justice.
“In Illinois, we are fighting ignorance with information and cruelty with compassion, said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to our state, philanthropic, and community partners, IL Pride Connect will inform individuals of their rights and connect them to health and social services support – making us the only state in the nation to provide free legal advice and advocacy tools to protect the LGBTQ community.”
Supported by a $250,000 investment from the State of Illinois and $100,000 in philanthropic support for legal staffing and statewide accessibility, IL Pride Connect provides two key tools: a digital resource hub and a free legal hotline.
The initiative was developed with the guidance of LGBTQIA+ led organizations and legal advocates statewide and will be led by the Legal Council for Health Justice.
The resources can be accessed at:
- IL Pride Connect Resource Hub: www.ilprideconnect.org
- Legal Hotline: 855-805-9200
- (Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m.)
LGBTQIA+ communities are facing an unprecedented wave of legal and policy attacks from the current federal administration. These changes are not only harmful – they are cruel and dehumanizing, stripping individuals of their rights, dignity, and access to essential services like healthcare and education. IL Pride Connect was created to meet this moment. Developed in partnership with LGBTQIA+ organizations – including Equality Illinois, ALMA, Brave Space Alliance, Lambda Legal, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago/Pride Action Tank, in addition to the Legal Council for Health Justice – the initiative offers direct support, accurate legal information, and a pathway to resist and respond to these escalating threats.
“IL Pride Connect was shaped by the voices and leadership of LGBTQIA+ communities across Illinois,” said Dulce M. Quintero, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. “This work is about solidarity and responsiveness – making sure our systems reflect the needs, strength, and lived realities of the people they serve.”
IL Pride Connect includes a digital resource hub with legal FAQs, know-your-rights information, referrals to affirming legal and community services, and advocacy tools. It also includes a first of its kind legal hotline that operates Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and provides real-time information and referrals, including on name and gender marker changes, housing and education rights, and access to healthcare and public benefits.
“In today’s political climate, LGBTQIA+ Illinoisans need real, practical support. IL Pride Connect offers exactly that: a statewide hub and live legal hotline staffed by people who understand, who care, and who are ready to help,” said Julie Justicz, Executive Director of the Legal Council for Health Justice. “We’re deeply grateful to Governor Pritzker and his team for recognizing the urgent need for affirming legal support for LGBTQIA+ people in Illinois and for investing in a resource that meets people where they are.”
In addition to the Illinois Legal Council for Health Justice, other community partners include:
- Comer Family Foundation
- Healthy Communities Foundation
- Woods Fund Chicago
- Field Foundation
- Alphawood Foundation Chicago
“Launching this statewide Resource Hub and Legal Hotline removes barriers to justice and provides a trusted lifeline for communities in need,” said Maria Pesqueira, President of Healthy Communities Foundation. “We are proud to support this collective effort to advance health, safety, and equity for LGBTQIA+ people in our service region and across Illinois.”
“Access to up-to-date, vetted information and resources that address the unique challenges LGBTQIA+ people face in today’s environment is critical and lifesaving work,” said Gillian Knight, Program Manager of Learning & Evaluation, Healthy Communities Foundation. “By connecting with other funders who share our belief that Illinois should be a place where LGBTQIA+ people thrive, we are proud to link arms with the State, our peers, and the Steering Committee in supporting this important effort.”
“As an advocate for community power building, the Field Foundation is committed to advancing priorities that speak directly to community well-being,” said Daniel O. Ash, President, Field Foundation. “We are proud to partner with the State of Illinois and to be among the local funders supporting IL Pride Connect and the LGBTQIA+ community.”
“Providing access to a dedicated, trustworthy source for legal guidance underlines the culturally competent and complex support network necessary to bolster the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly transgender and non-binary individuals, in this moment,” said Mary Pounder, Executive Director, Comer Family Foundation.
“In a moment of rising threats to our LGBTQIA+ friends and family, Woods Fund Chicago is honored to support these critical tools,” said Michelle Morales, President, Woods Fund Chicago. “We know repressive policies and withdrawn resources disproportionately harm communities that are already disenfranchised: the Illinois Pride Connect legal hotline and resource hub are concrete acts of solidarity with LGBTQIA+ people in Chicago and beyond as they fight for rights we all deserve.”