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Home > Our Priorities > LGBT Human Rights > Chicago Profile 		spacer
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Stonewalled – Still Demanding Respect!
AI's Campaign to End Police Brutality Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in the U.S.


Chicago Profile

Chicago has taken important steps in recognizing and protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This includes adopting laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in basic areas of life, such as employment, housing, and education. Chicago has also taken steps to improve police relations with the local LGBT community. However, despite such progress, Amnesty International's research shows that police abuse and misconduct against LGBT people remains a serious and widespread problem in Chicago.

Reports to Amnesty International demonstrate that LGBT people in Chicago are at risk of gender-based violence, sometimes amounting to torture or other ill-treatment, taking the form of sexual, physical and verbal abuse in encounters with law enforcement officials including during arrest, searches, and detention. Furthermore, police fail to respond or respond inappropriately to domestic violence incidents and crimes targeted at LGBT individuals. There continues to be profiling and discriminatory enforcement of certain laws and ordinances against LGBT people.

Recent Developments

In December 2005, Amnesty International USA met with a representative from the office of elected City Council member Alderman Tom Tunney to discuss the findings of Stonewalled and how his office could support Amnesty International's work. Amnesty International was told that following the release of the report a new training video has been developed by the Chicago Police Department on working with the LGBT community. Additionally, Amnesty International recently received information – still unconfirmed at time of writing – that the Chicago Police Department has assigned five new LGBT liaison officers with a view towards appointing one for each district throughout the city. Amnesty International welcomes these developments and will continue to monitor their progress.

TAKE ACTION!

Write to the authorities. In all your letters, please include the following key messages:
  • LGBT people in the USA continue to suffer serious police abuses, in some cases amounting to torture or other ill-treatment.
  • Within the LGBT community, transgender people, members of ethnic or racial minorities, young people and immigrants bear the brunt of police abuse. The climate of prejudice which LGBT people face in the USA means that many of these abuses continue to go unpunished.
  • Despite some positive initiatives by law enforcement agencies and the justice system, much more needs to be done to protect LGBT people from police abuse and misconduct.

In addition, the following points should be included in letters to the Chicago Police Department and City Mayor:

To Philip J. Cline, Police Superintendent, Chicago Police Department (CPD)
Urge him to:
  • Provide comprehensive training on LGBT issues to all CPD officers at regular periodic intervals. These should cover searches of transgender individuals, LGBT domestic violence and "hate crimes" (crimes motivated by discrimination), and sexual assaults of LGBT individuals.
  • Appoint an LGBT liaison in Central Command and each district or establish a mobile LGBT Liaison Unit.
  • Institute specific policies and procedures regarding police interaction with, strip searches and detention of transgender individuals, addressing the relevant concerns raised in Amnesty International's report.
To Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago:
  • As the highest elected official in the city of Chicago, please do all within your power to ensure that the Chicago Police Department respects the human rights of all city residents including Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.
  • Take steps to ensure that all cases of alleged police abuse are investigated and that perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice.
  • Ensure that the Chicago Police Department and other city departments and agencies review the recommendations made in Amnesty International's report and make all necessary changes in policies and practices.

ADDRESSES:

Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline
Chicago Police Department
3510 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653
USA
F: (312) 745-6963
Email: police@cityofchicago.org
Salutation: Dear Superintendent Cline

Mayor Richard M. Daley
Office of the Mayor
City Hall
121 N. LaSalle, Room 507
Chicago, IL 60602
USA
F: (312) 744-8045
Salutation: Dear Mayor Daley


COPIES TO the Chicago Gay Officers Action League (GOAL):
Jamie Richardson – President
GOAL – Chicago
P.O. Box 577188
Chicago, IL 60657
USA
Email: JRichardson@GOALChicago.org
Salutation: Dear President


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