NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — Equality Illinois and the Prairie Pride Coalition teamed up to host a LGBTQ+ Town Hall on Monday. It was held at First United Methodist Church in Normal. The town hall gave residents the chance to connect with Senator Dave Koehler and Representative Sharon Chung about legislation that interests their community. School board and council candidates were also in attendance.
Focal points included bills centered around healthcare cultural competency training, multi-occupancy gender-neutral bathrooms, and funding for schools teaching inclusive sex-ed.
Bloomington resident Morgan Lair attended with his husband. Lair and others expressed concern about the retribution people will face for seeking or providing gender-affirming care.
Lair said town halls help bridge the gap between the constituents and elected officials.
“Being able to be here and talk to a state senator and our state representative, the people we helped elect, is a huge difference. It makes the both of us a lot more confident about the choices that we made at the ballot box,” he said.
Prairie Pride Coalition will host a Transgender Resource Fair in Bloomington on Friday. The fair will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington/Normal at 1613 E. Emerson Street in Bloomington.
Equality Illinois and Peoria Proud will host a town hall in Peoria next Monday. The town hall will be held at 6 p.m. at the Peoria Public Library North Branch at 3001 W Grand Parkway in Peoria.
