The Advocacy Council for Human Rights » General Info

May Rainbow Connection Now Available

ACHR Staff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:47:14 +0000

The May edition of the Rainbow Connection is now available for viewing.

Also check out our Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/PrairiePrideCoalition

you can also follow us on twitter @PPCBloNo

April Rainbow Connection Now Available

ACHR Staff — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:46:49 +0000

The April issue of Rainbow Connection is now available for viewing. Be on the lookout for a new webpage and Facebook page for Prairie Pride Coalition which is making is debut this month!

March Rainbow Connection is now available

ACHR Staff — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:00:28 +0000

The March issue of the Rainbow Connection is now available for viewing. Highlights of this issue include ISU Charity Drag Show is coming March 24, congressional candidates respond to ACHR’s survey in preparation for the March 20 primary and many other articles.

February Newletter Now Available

ACHR Staff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:43:33 +0000

The February edition of the Rainbow Connection is now available.

ACHR is the host of the First Fridays at the Bistro on 2/3, hope to see a lot of you there.

Correction for PFLAG date

ACHR Staff — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:40:25 +0000

The newsletter incorrectly stated the date of the PFLAG meeting. The correct meeting time is Thursday Jan 19 at 5:30. The place will still be the Unitarian Unilateralist church on Emerson in the church library. Hope to see lots of people there. Sorry for the incorrect information first given.

January Newsletter Now Available

ACHR Staff — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:43:44 +0000

The January edition of the Rainbow Connection is now available for reading online.

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!

Amasong Concert Dec 10

ACHR Staff — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Amasong, Champaign Urbana’s Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus, would like to
invite you to our Winter Concert, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 11 at 4:00
p.m., McKinley Presbyterian Church, 809 S. Fifth St., Champaign. Suggested
donation $15-$25, more if you can, less if you can’t!

Join Amasong for a high-spirited concert of songs and dances from around
the world. Sung in ten different languages, this program of music and
movement will inspire your heart – and your feet – to dance. Enjoy vocal
music from four continents: traditional dancing songs of Serbia, Ghana,
Afghanistan, and the Huron Native Americans, Renaissance devotional music
from Spain, contemporary composition by Meredith Monk and many more
celebratory pieces. Featuring Subhalakshmi Kumar, Bharatanatyam (South
Indian Classical) dancer, Josh Houchin, bass, and others.

December newsletter now online

ACHR Staff — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:23:05 +0000

The December edition of the Rainbow connection is now available for viewing.

November Newletter Now Online

ACHR Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:14:11 +0000

The November edition of the Rainbow Connection is now available online:

Salute to the Silver Screen Theme of Nov. 20 Concert

ACHR Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:56:18 +0000

The Capitol City Men’s Chorus has set its next concert for 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Laurel United Methodist Church, 631 S. Grand Ave. W in Springfield. A $10 donation is the suggested ad- mission.
Established in 2005, the cho- rus membership is open to any male with a musical interest that is 18 years of age or older.
Past concerts have been based on love songs, Broadway showtunes, holiday music, and old
radio shows. The group has also performed in the capitol rotunda and at various fundraisers.
For more information contact the chorus at chorus@tccmc.org or visit the chorus web site at www.tccmc.org.

Local leaders plan for interfaith round table

ACHR Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:54:36 +0000

Equality Illinois and the Advo- cacy Council for Human Rights are sponsoring their second annual Interfaith Equality Round Table breakfast discussion at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 in the Community Room at Bloomington Public Library, 205 E. Olive St.
The discussion will focus on the impact of state/federal legisla- tion on LGBT communities and implications for communities of faith and societal change; con- structive dialog concerning LGBT equality across faith traditions around issues we disagree on; and outreach to the LGBT community within and across faith traditions.
Clergy, lay leaders and central Illinois LGBT leaders are invited to attend the discussion. If you know of clergy, lay persons or community leaders who would be interested in partaking in the discussion, please share this information with them. A light breakfast will be served.
Please RSVP attendance plans to Caroline Staerk at cstaerk@eqil.org. Questions can also be directed to Caroline at 773-477-7173.

College student’s experience at Camp Pride

ACHR Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:49:01 +0000

by Ryan Mishler

For one week this past July, I went to summer camp. Some may wonder why a 22-year-old college student would want to go to summer camp, but the camp I attended didn’t involve sing-alongs and s’mores. I went to Camp Pride, a summer leadership camp held at Vanderbilt University for LGBT and ally college students who want to make their campuses more welcoming for LGBT students, staff, and faculty.

During my time at Camp Pride, I had the opportunity to learn leadership skills and tactics from people who I have known and looked up to for years: peo- ple who are nationally-recognized lead- ers of the LGBT civil rights movement, including bisexual activist Robyn Ochs, Mara Keisling, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality; transgender slam poet Kit Yan, and Shane Windmeyer, the Executive Director of Campus Pride.

Our goal at camp was to create a “Queer It Up!” action plan to somehow improve the lives and experiences of LGBT students, staff and/or faculty, and implement that plan on our individual campuses. Some of the plans created at the camp ranged from establishing an LGBT student organization to creating a student ally program.
My “Queer It Up!” action plan con- sists of getting gender-neutral restrooms implemented on the campus of Northern Illinois University. This plan is in its early stages, but I am determined and I know that I can make it a reality for me and my fellow NIU Huskies.

Camp Pride gave me the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence that I needed to work to- wards this goal.
From the amaz- ing faculty and staff to my fellow campers who lead their cam- puses with pride, Camp Pride was truly the greatest week of my life. I have never felt so inspired, so unconditionally ac- cepted, and so moti- vated. Do not doubt the commitment of
today’s young adults to LGBT equality. With organizations like Campus Pride and experiences like Camp Pride to help us along the way, there is absolutely noth- ing that can stop us.
If you or a student you know would like to attend Camp Pride, you can find more information about the camp at: www.campuspride.org/camppride.

October Newsletter Now Available

ACHR Staff — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:13:12 +0000

October newsletter is now available: October Newsletter

Your Normal LGBT Film Festival has a new Website:

Your Normal LGBT Film Fest

Check it out for complete descriptions of all the films in the film festival.

September newsletter now available in pdf format

ACHR Staff — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:17:53 +0000

The September edition of The Rainbow Connection – now in color! – is available on the Newsletter page.

Important websites for Civil Unions information

ACHR Staff — Sat, 28 May 2011 07:32:01 +0000

This month Illinois joins 11 other states that offer either civil union, domestic partner, or marriage equality rights to same-sex couples. As we’ve heard in our two local forums on the new civil unions law, there are many intricacies and a lot of information that couples should digest as they make their plans for a civil union. What follows are some local, state and national resources that might be helpful to couples:

www.lambdalegal.org. Lambda Legal has created a Civil Union Tracker program on its web site and has just posted a recording of a recent teleconference that discusses the nuances of the Illinois law.

www.equalityillinois.org. Equality Illinois has created a “Faith and Freedom” initiative that includes a database of clergy in the state who are available to officiate at ceremonies; the database can be found at http://eqil.org/faithandfreedom.html.

www.aclu-il.org. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois was instrumental in the passage of the civil unions bill. A FAQ on the organization’s web site gives valuable information about the civil unions law (look for the hyperlink under “LGBT Rights.”

www.mcleancountyil.gov/CountyClerk/marriage_License.htm. The McLean County Clerk’s office has been extremely helpful in answering questions about the new law and attended our recent community forum. This web site answers commonly-asked questions about the process of applying for a license in McLean County.

If you need further information or run into problems obtaining a civil union license please let us know! Contact us at info@achr-il.com.