By John Gregory/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – A newly signed bill on hate crimes has gay rights advocates optimistic that their cause will continue to advance under Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The bill explicitly adds crimes against transgendered individuals to the law, along with adding hate crimes protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community centers.
Mike Ziri, public policy director at Equality Illinois, hopes this means Rauner will support two other bills: one on banning so-called gay conversion therapy and another on burial rights for transgendered people.
“We’re hoping that the governor signing the bill…is a harbinger of his actions on those two other bills,” Rauner said.
The new hate crimes protections go into effect next year.
