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Chicago Tribune
24-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie holds family-friendly Pride event despite high heat, humidity
Though temperatures were so high that phones buzzed with heat alerts, keeping many away from attending Skokie's Pride event Saturday, organizers said they were still satisfied with this year's Pride event and holding space for LGBTQIA+ people. This year's Pride, hosted at Oakton Park, took place amid the season's first heat wave that saw temperatures hit the mid-90s with bright sunshine and humidity. The Village of Skokie, the Skokie Park District, local businesses and faith communities nevertheless staffed booths sharing information and messages of inclusion. 'We really think it's important,' to have a Pride event in Skokie, said Skokie Park District Executive Director Michelle Tuft. 'Skokie is a very diverse community, and we want everyone here to feel welcome. So it's very important every year, and maybe even more so this year.' Tuft said the celebration, organized by the Skokie Park District and Skokie Pride, has been ongoing since 2019, and was created because residents wanted a family-friendly Pride event in Skokie. Tuft said the heat was likely the reason why attendance at this year's Pride event was not as high as previous years, but that otherwise, the celebrations were going well. 'It seems like there's been a little bit of a lower turnout, but still, people are really engaging, and we're happy to be able to be here,' said Amanda Sabri, the village's of Skokie's staff liaison to the village's Human Relations Commission. Sabri said even with the weather, Pride is 'a wonderful event. We love getting to know everybody who's coming to the table, and even with the heat, everyone is in a positive mood.' Over at the Temple Beth Israel booth, Tracey Kite, the Chair of the Temple's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion told Pioneer Press why the synagogue attends Pride in Skokie. 'One of the things we've been working really hard on in the last eight years is making sure that we are really appropriately welcoming to all people,' Kite said of the reform synagogue. 'You want people to know that LGBTQ individuals are welcome in the Jewish community,' she said. A good number of families attended the event, taking precautions to stay cool and hydrated. From Arlington Heights, Ryan Christie brought his two kids, including his 9-year-old daughter Olive Christie, to the Skokie festival. 'We were here last year just looking for something to do. I have some members of the family who identify as LGBTQ and we wanted something that was family oriented,' Christie said. '[Skokie Pride] is community based and everybody's so nice and accepting. It was a really nice way to get to know the LGBTQ community.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit aims to strike down LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections in Pennsylvania
Two public school districts and several parents have sued Pennsylvania in a bid to undo antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people, saying the state's two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed. The lawsuit comes amid a national debate over the rights of transgender high school athletes to compete in women's sports, and was filed in the statewide Commonwealth Court late Thursday. If the lawsuit is successful, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission would no longer be able to investigate complaints about discrimination involving sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The plaintiffs' lawyers also say a favorable ruling in court would bar transgender student athletes from competing in women's high school sports in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs include two districts — South Side Area and Knoch, both in western Pennsylvania — and two Republican state lawmakers, Reps. Aaron Bernstine and Barbara Gleim, as well as three parents and seven students. The lawsuit names Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which investigates complaints about discrimination because of someone's race, sex, religion, age or disability in housing, employment and public accommodations. Shapiro's office said it had no immediate comment Friday, and the commission did not respond to an inquiry about the lawsuit Friday. The lawsuit is aimed at the definition of sex discrimination, which the commission expanded by regulation to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The regulation was approved in late 2022 by a separate regulatory gatekeeper agency, and it took effect in 2023. The plaintiffs contend that the state Supreme Court has interpreted the term 'sex' as used in the Pennsylvania Constitution to mean either male or female. They also contend that the state Legislature never gave permission to the Human Relations Commission to write regulations expanding the legal definition of sex discrimination, making the regulation a violation of the Legislature's constitutional authority over lawmaking. The commission has justified the expanded definition by saying that state courts have held that Pennsylvania's antidiscrimination laws are to be interpreted consistently with federal antidiscrimination law. The commission can negotiate settlements between parties or impose civil penalties, such as back pay or damages. For years, Democratic lawmakers tried to change the law to add the terms sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the portfolio of complaints that the Human Relations Commission could investigate. Every time, Republican lawmakers blocked the effort. Shapiro, in the past, has backed the Democrats' legislation and in 2021 called GOP-backed legislation to prohibit transgender athletes from playing women's high school and college sports 'cruel.' Most states have laws against discriminating against gay or transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations or investigate such complaints, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for equality for LGBTQ people. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
2 western Pennsylvania school districts sue to strike down state's LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections
Two public school districts and several parents have sued the state in a bid to undo antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people in Pennsylvania, saying that the two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed. The lawsuit, filed in the statewide Commonwealth Court late Thursday, comes amid a debate in Pennsylvania and nationally over the rights of transgender high school athletes to compete in women's sports. If the lawsuit is successful, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission would no longer be able to investigate complaints about discrimination involving sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The plaintiffs' lawyers also say a favorable ruling in court would bar transgender student athletes from competing in women's high school sports in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs include two districts — South Side Area and Knoch, both in western Pennsylvania — and two Republican state lawmakers, Reps. Aaron Bernstine and Barbara Gleim, as well as three parents and seven students. The lawsuit names Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which investigates complaints about discrimination because of someone's race, sex, religion, age or disability in housing, employment and public accommodations. Shapiro's office said it had no immediate comment Friday and the commission did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the lawsuit Friday. The lawsuit is aimed at the definition of sex discrimination that the commission expanded by regulation to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The regulation was approved in late 2022 by a separate regulatory gatekeeper agency, and it took effect in 2023. The plaintiffs contend that the state Supreme Court has interpreted the term "sex" as used in the Pennsylvania Constitution to mean either male or female. They also contend that the state Legislature never gave permission to the Human Relations Commission to write regulations expanding the legal definition of sex discrimination, making the regulation a violation of the Legislature's constitutional authority over lawmaking. The commission has justified the expanded definition by saying that state courts have held that Pennsylvania's antidiscrimination laws are to be interpreted consistently with federal antidiscrimination law. The commission can negotiate settlements between parties or impose civil penalties, such as back pay or damages. For years, Democratic lawmakers tried to change the law to add the terms sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the portfolio of complaints that the Human Relations Commission could investigate. Every time, Republican lawmakers blocked the effort.
NBC News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Lawsuit aims to strike down LGBTQ anti-discrimination protections in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two public school districts and several parents have sued the state in a bid to undo anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people in Pennsylvania, saying that the two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed. The lawsuit, filed in the statewide Commonwealth Court late Thursday, comes amid a debate in Pennsylvania and nationally over the rights of transgender high school athletes to compete in women's sports. If the lawsuit is successful, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission would no longer be able to investigate complaints about discrimination involving sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The plaintiffs' lawyers also say a favorable ruling in court would bar transgender student athletes from competing in women's high school sports in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs include two districts — South Side Area and Knoch, both in western Pennsylvania — and two Republican state lawmakers, Reps. Aaron Bernstine and Barbara Gleim, as well as three parents and seven students. The lawsuit names Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which investigates complaints about discrimination because of someone's race, sex, religion, age or disability in housing, employment and public accommodations. Shapiro's office said it had no immediate comment Friday and the commission did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the lawsuit Friday. The lawsuit is aimed at the definition of sex discrimination that the commission expanded by regulation to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The regulation was approved in late 2022 by a separate regulatory gatekeeper agency, and it took effect in 2023. The plaintiffs contend that the state Supreme Court has interpreted the term 'sex' as used in the Pennsylvania Constitution to mean either male or female. They also contend that the state Legislature never gave permission to the Human Relations Commission to write regulations expanding the legal definition of sex discrimination, making the regulation a violation of the Legislature's constitutional authority over lawmaking. The commission has justified the expanded definition by saying that state courts have held that Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws are to be interpreted consistently with federal anti-discrimination law. The commission can negotiate settlements between parties or impose civil penalties, such as back pay or damages. For years, Democratic lawmakers tried to change the law to add the terms sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the portfolio of complaints that the Human Relations Commission could investigate. Every time, Republican lawmakers blocked the effort.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Lawsuit aims to strike down LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections in Pennsylvania
Two public school districts and several parents have sued the state in a bid to undo antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people in Pennsylvania, saying that the two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed. The lawsuit, filed in the statewide Commonwealth Court late Thursday, comes amid a debate in Pennsylvania and nationally over the rights of transgender high school athletes to compete in women's sports. If the lawsuit is successful, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission would no longer be able to investigate complaints about discrimination involving sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The plaintiffs' lawyers also say a favorable ruling in court would bar transgender student athletes from competing in women's high school sports in Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs include two districts — South Side Area and Knoch, both in western Pennsylvania — and two Republican state lawmakers, Reps. Aaron Bernstine and Barbara Gleim, as well as three parents and seven students. The lawsuit names Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which investigates complaints about discrimination because of someone's race, sex, religion, age or disability in housing, employment and public accommodations. Shapiro's office said it had no immediate comment Friday and the commission did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the lawsuit Friday. The lawsuit is aimed at the definition of sex discrimination that the commission expanded by regulation to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The regulation was approved in late 2022 by a separate regulatory gatekeeper agency, and it took effect in 2023. The plaintiffs contend that the state Supreme Court has interpreted the term 'sex' as used in the Pennsylvania Constitution to mean either male or female. They also contend that the state Legislature never gave permission to the Human Relations Commission to write regulations expanding the legal definition of sex discrimination, making the regulation a violation of the Legislature's constitutional authority over lawmaking. The commission has justified the expanded definition by saying that state courts have held that Pennsylvania's antidiscrimination laws are to be interpreted consistently with federal antidiscrimination law. The commission can negotiate settlements between parties or impose civil penalties, such as back pay or damages. For years, Democratic lawmakers tried to change the law to add the terms sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the portfolio of complaints that the Human Relations Commission could investigate. Every time, Republican lawmakers blocked the effort. ___
