Much has changed since 1991, when gas was $1.18 a gallon, “Beverly Hills 90210” premiered, Mariah Carey won the Grammy for Best New Artist and Patrick Swayze was the sexiest man alive, according People magazine. And here in Chicago, the growing fervor for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Illinoisans led a small band of leaders to launch a fledgling organization now known as Equality Illinois.
For 25 years, Equality Illinois has won change across the state, from basic civil liberties to full marriage equality, and more milestones since then.
Now it’s time for some big changes of our own…
Today, we are thrilled to launch a new brand for Equality Illinois–one that captures the excitement of our work and reflects our enduring commitment to securing equal treatment for all.
The new modern logo and bright color scheme seen here on our website reflect a refreshed vigor for our work of the next quarter century. Our new slogan–UNTIL WE’RE ALL EQUAL–summarizes our mission to “build a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and social justice through education, advocacy and protection of the rights of the LGBT community.”
In the wake of high-profile successes, we have retooled our organization to build an Equality Illinois that is ready for the next phase of the movement. We’ve expanded our agenda, grown our initiatives, and opened a Central Illinois office to better meet our legislative, defensive, and educational priorities.
We’ve learned from other civil and human rights movements that high-profile political, policy and legal victories do not end the work of seeking social justice. We must reinvigorate ourselves, because when we’re not vigilant, we are vulnerable. Now is not the time to disengage.
Changing laws is just the foundation for securing lived equality for all Illinoisans, so the name of the Equality Illinois Education Project, our 501(c)(3) arm, is being changed to Equality Illinois Institute to better reflect our role engaging and educating the public, government and private establishments about equality. Our work continues through conferences in Chicago and Central Illinois, publications and training sessions, plus contributing an LGBT voice to the broader conversations on racial equality and social justice.
In addition, our political arm, Equality Illinois PAC, will continue to assertively pursue LGBT priorities at the ballot box. Find out more on the PAC’s website.
Equality Illinois’ new branding will also be seen on our social media, and it will be incorporated into new and updated publications.
Thank you for helping us build a powerful voice for the LGBT equality movement in the Illinois.