Illinois Gov. Pritzker declares March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility

CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has proclaimed March 31st to be known as “Transgender Day of Visibility.”

“As Governor, it has been my mission to ensure that every Illinoisan lives without the fear of violence, prejudice, or discrimination,” said Pritzker. “If you’re looking for a place to be authentically yourself, come to Illinois—a state where, regardless of who you are, we celebrate all Illinoisians, recognize their accomplishments, and fight to protect rights to live with dignity and respect.”

Transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they have become a major subject of political discourse.

More than half of voters in the 2024 election (55%) said support for transgender rights in the United States has gone too far, according to AP VoteCast. About 2 in 10 said the level of support has been about right, and a similar share said support hasn’t gone far enough.

President Donald Trump has spearheaded federal efforts, including recognizing two sexes, male and female; blocking biological men from participating in women’s sports; and banning or restricting medical sex change treatment for minors.

A survey this year from the Pew Research Center found that Americans, including Democrats, have become slightly more supportive of requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth and more supportive of bans on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors since 2022. 

Illinois has one of the most comprehensive sets of laws concerning protections for transgender and LGBTQ+ people, exceeding the standards set by federal law.

New, non-regulatory guidance was issued by the Illinois Department of Human Rights on Monday that included prohibited treatment toward transgender and LQBTQ persons, including:

• An employer terminating an employee because they are transgender or nonbinary.
• A housing provider refusing a prospective tenant an apartment rental because of their gender identity or expression.
• A bank or credit union denying an applicant a loan or credit because they are transgender.
• A doctor’s office refusing to treat a patient because they are transgender or nonbinary.
• A business refusing to serve a customer who is transgender.
• An educational institution treating a student differently because of their gender identity.

Additionally, actions that treat persons differently because of their gender identity may violate the Illinois Human Rights Act. For example:

• Prohibiting hormone treatment for transition-related care when the same treatment is provided for other conditions.
• Restricting access to a restroom or facility that aligns with a person’s gender identity or presentation.
• Refusing to respond to harassment of a transgender student based on the student’s gender identity.
• Enacting a policy that prohibits transgender girls from participation on female sports teams.

Gov. Pritzker’s sibling, Jennifer (née Robert), a retired lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard, became the world’s first openly transgender billionaire in 2013.

In 2019, Pritzker signed an executive order to ensure schools in Illinois recognize transgender students.

The U.S. Department of Justice has taken up the a civil rights case made by an Illinois mother who claims her daughter’s middle school attempted to force her to change in front of a biological male in the girl’s locker room. The investigation will determine if the school’s transgender policy violated an executive order signed by Trump  that prevents biological males from participating in women’s sports.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.