Quigley's Hopeful On LGBT Issues, But Not Before November

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, (D-Chicago), photo below, said Aug. 13 that he's hopeful about making progress in Congress on several LGBT community issues, but not until after the November elections.

"I'm not sure what happens between now and November, but my hunch is not a heck of a lot," Quigley said.

Congress is on break until Sept. 14 but when representatives and senators return to the nation's capital, Quigley said, most will have their eyes on the Nov. 2 election and won't be inclined to take up major legislation, especially on contentious issues such as LGBT rights.

"You're going to see a lot of what we call messaging," Quigley said.

But Quigley said he expects some action on LGBT issues after the election, when Congress reconvenes for what's known as a "lame duck session" between the election and the convening of a new Congress next January.

"I'm more hopeful about the lame duck session," Quigley said. "I have faith that we're going to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell."

The military is currently conducting a study on how to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Pentagon's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. That study is to be completed later this year.

Quigley isn't as sure about passage this year of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which is supported by President Obama and would ban employment discrimination against LGBTs nationwide, and immigration reform. But he said, thanks to the strong stand by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago) and others, any immigration reform bill that passes in Congress would have to include the Uniting American Families Act, which would allow foreign partners of gays and lesbians to immigrate to the United States, as is the case for married partners of straight Americans.

"I was glad to see Cong. Gutierrez come out strong on that," Quigley said. "I can't tell you which bill will move forward on immigration reform, but it will not move forward without everybody being included. It loses its high ground if we start to exclude people."

Quigley said he's also committed to continuing his push to get the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to end its prohibition on blood and organ donation by gay men, a relic of the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Since his election to the House in April 2009, Quigley has become the leading advocate of ending that ban in Congress.

"The science is behind us," he said. "The American Red Cross called our policy medically and scientifically unsupported."

He said that while an HHS panel last month split on recommending an end to the ban, he continues to be optimistic about getting the Obama administration to take action.

"At least they said the policy is sub-optimal," Quigley said. "We're going to continue to push HHS to do the right thing. It's a real shame because our blood banks are suffering horrible shortages."

Quigley said he'll be working hard the next two months on his own reelection campaign and to help elect others in Illinois who share his progressive stands.

"It's not all gloom and doom, but there are only two presidents who haven't lost seats (in Congress) in mid-term elections," Quigley said. "But the Tea Party people can hurt the Republicans as much as they help them."

Quigley said it's imperative that LGBT voters and others turn out to help elect supportive candidates in congressional elections in and around Chicago, including his own race in the 5th District and races in the 10th, 11th and 14th districts. In the 10th, Democrat Dan Seals is running to win the seat being vacated by Rep. Mark Kirk, while Democratic Reps. Bill Foster and Debbie Halverson are running for reelection in the 11th and 14th districts.

"We need to appreciate how important people like Bill Foster and Debbie Halverson are," Quigley said.

Quigley said he's also going to be working to reelect Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in his race against state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), who's sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban any recognition of lesbian and gay partners, including marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships, and to create loopholes in the Illinois Human Rights Act to allow some employers to discriminate against LGBTs.

"I don't know of another governor's race in the country where the differences between the candidates are so huge," Quigley said.

Equality Illinois and the Human Rights Campaign are sponsoring a briefing on current issues with U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. The event is free and open to the public.