In a nod to historical progress and a continuing commitment to inclusivity, Illinois marked International Human Rights Day with a dual purpose—celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act and calling attention to a century of LGBTQIA+ rights activism. Events hosted by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) included remarks and outreach at the Chicago History Museum in partnership with the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, employee recognition awards, and a social media educational campaign, detailing their ongoing battle for equality, according to the State of Illinois.
The Illinois Human Rights Act, modeled after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, was commemorated this week. Since its inception in 1979, the Act, which enforces non-discrimination across several facets of public life, has grown to protect more than 20 classes of people. "The Illinois Human Rights Act provides one of the most comprehensive sets of human rights protections in the country," IDHR Director Jim Bennett stated, as stated in the press release. The IDHR, alongside the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC), enforces these protections which recently expanded to cover areas such as conviction record and immigration status.
2024 has seen the IHRA further bolstered by Governor Pritzker, with the signing of five bills that extended protections, including those for reproductive health decisions and family responsibilities. These amendments, set to be activated come Jan. 1, 2025, also extend the statute of limitation for filing discrimination charges to two years for select cases. While the filing window for housing cases remains, these updates are in response to a national atmosphere where "attacks against human rights and reproductive rights," as noted by the State of Illinois.
Efficiency and impartiality remain hallmarks of the IHRC and IDHR's handling of the Act over the years. "For forty-five years, both the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have enforced the Act without fear or favor, and as effectively and efficiently as possible," IHRC Chair Selma C. D'Souza conveyed in the same press release. This adherence to fair enforcement is expected to continue as Illinois residents gear up to navigate the expanded landscape of human rights in their state, fortified by these latest enhancements to the IHRA.
