[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              RECOGNIZING THE ALLIANCE OF ILLINOIS JUDGES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the formation 
of a new judicial association--the Alliance of Illinois Judges, AIJ, 
which has been established to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender issues in the judiciary and the legal system as a whole.
  Founded by the Lesbian and Gay Judges of the Circuit Court of Cook 
County, the Alliance of Illinois Judges will serve to assist judges, 
lawyers and law students; to make sure that LGBT individuals 
interacting with the legal system are treated with respect and without 
regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity; and to help 
people in the LGBT community better understand how the courts and the 
legal system work.
  The Alliance of Illinois Judges has also been set up to advocate for 
their members. The formation of All reminds us that lesbian and gay 
judges in Illinois--like lesbian and gay employees all over the 
country--are treated differently than their heterosexual counterparts. 
All intends to address these inequities.
  In the last 15 years, the judiciary in Illinois and in Cook County 
has been transformed by the addition of many highly talented and 
dedicated gay and lesbian judges. Their presence in Cook County has 
brought about a sea change in attitudes in one of the largest 
consolidated court systems in the world.
  In 1993, Cook County and Illinois took a giant step forward when 
Judge Tom Chiola, one of the founding members of AIJ, was elected not 
only as the first openly gay judge but also as the first openly gay 
elected official in Illinois. Then, in 1996, Judge Sebastian Patti was 
elected in a countywide election in Cook County, the second largest 
county in the nation. And in 1999, Nancy Katz, the first lesbian judge, 
was elected an Associate Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. This 
month the Alliance of Illinois Judges is being launched with 16 
founding members.
  Madam Speaker, I want to offer my very best wishes to the Alliance of 
Illinois Judges and to all its members. The professional achievements 
of these individuals, their enormous contributions to the civic life of 
Chicago, Cook County and Illinois and their dedication to the legal 
profession remind us once again, especially during Gay Pride Month, of 
what we as a nation owe to lesbian and gay Americans and to the entire 
LGBT community.

                          ____________________