House lawmakers trade words about the LGBTQ community

Posted on March 23, 2022
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) (Photo courtesy www.ilga.gov)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – A champion swimmer and a woman whose body was pulled from Lake Michigan a few days ago have two things in common: they are transgender, and they were brought up on the floor of the Illinois House Tuesday.

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) said the acceptance of transgenderism, including allowing Lia Thomas, whom Morrison called a “man,” to win an NCAA women’s swimming championship, is straight out of 1984 and that we may as well argue that 2 + 2 = 5.

Morrison’s floor speech brought an immediate response from State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), a lesbian who counted the late Elise Malary as one of her constituents. Cassidy railed on Morrison, calling his discussion “hate speech” and calling him part of the problem.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…