Bernard Cherkasov on Lobby Day, Bill Brady

Bernard Cherkasov on Lobby Day, Bill Brady
by Andrew Davis
Copyright by the Windy City Times
2010-04-28
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26347


Civil Union Lobby Day took place April 22 in Springfield, with several hundred people across Illinois going to the state capital to talk with their legislators. Windy City Times talked with Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov—who was in the midst of all the action—about how it went.

Windy City Times: Just so the readers know, what is Lobby Day?

Bernard Cherkasov: Lobby Day is an opportunity for citizens across the state to meet their representatives face to face about the issues most important to me. Since we deal with LGBT issues, we discuss [ related ] pieces of legislation that are in Springfield right now. I would describe what happened as a complete success.

WCT: Which legislators did you meet with?

BC: Well—and this is what I mean by a complete success—we had buses leaving from all over the state. We had buses leaving from Chicago and Carbondale, from Belleville, Bolingbrook and Oak Park; people drove in their own cars as well. We had such a geographical diversity [ regarding ] attendees to talk with their state representatives.

WCT: Was there also a lunch during which [ Public Policy Director ] Rick Garcia listed talking points?

BC: When people first arrived in Springfield, we had a "regrouping lunch" where Rick Garcia and I welcomed everybody and went over talking points with the legislation. Also, state Rep. Greg Harris—the sponsor of the civil-union bill in the House—addressed us. Robin Kelly, Alexi Giannoulias' chief of staff, talked with us, as did Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Rocco Claps. So we had a powwow of sorts before going to meet our elected officials.

WCT: Do you have some sense about where the civil-unions bill is?

BC: We've been working on the civil-unions bill for a few years now and, every time we meet with new legislators, we make inroads. I am confident that when the civil-unions bill is called, the legislators will make the right decision. They will realize that this is such an important basic human right that they will need to pass it—but, in terms of a vote count, we won't know until the bill is called.

WCT: How do you respond to the argument that the state is in so much debt that legislators need to deal with that first, and that civil-unions bill need to be lower on the priority list?

BC: I don't buy that. We send our leaders to Springfield, trusting that they can handle more than one issue at a time. The budget is a really important issue—and we need to find out how to create more jobs here—but the civil-unions bill will provide crucial protections for Illinois families. What about someone who can't make emergency decisions for her partner of many years? Do we say, "You wait until we balance the budget?"

WCT: Also, what's your position regarding the gubernatorial race? I imagine that you'd be behind Pat Quinn and not Bill Brady.

BC: Equality Illinois has not endorsed a candidate yet. However, we sort of disagree with some of the political proposals from Bill Brady. Even before he was confirmed as the Republican nominee, we thought he had some really unfair proposals. After he was confirmed, one of the first things he put forth didn't deal with the economy, hunger or homelessness—it was to change the Illinois Constitution to prevent same-sex relationships. I was just outraged that this was his priority.

Then there was his gas-chamber proposal for puppies. He proposed that homeless puppies be put down. I don't know what his priorities are but I don't think they're the same as those of mainstream Illinoisans.

See www.eqil.org for more about Equality Illinois.