Chicago Police Department Adopts Transgender General Order

(GayWebSource.com) September 4, 2012 Chicago, IL – The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA), Illinois’ leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights advocacy organization, has learned that the Chicago Police Department has adopted a General Order for the treatment of Transgender Individuals while in CPD custody.

“We are very pleased to learn that the CPD has finally adopted this general order,” said Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda. “The Civil Rights Agenda has been working with Lakeview Action Coalition on this effort since last year, and we are mostly pleased with the General Order as it stands, although we have a few concerns, mostly around arrest procedures and identification.  We will be meeting with the Administration and CPD in the coming week and hope to gain further insight into what they see as their next steps in terms of training and implementation.”

“This is a great first step,” said Rick Garcia, policy advisor for The Civil Rights Agenda. “But it is just the first step. There is now a lot of training that has to be done, and we want to ensure that implementation is carried out so that every officers is aware of these new policies.  We have seen from other cities that have adopted these policies, like Washington D.C., that implementation and training are key to a successful outcome. The ordinance is still alive, so should there be a need to create oversight as it relates to implementation and training there is that mechanism available to us.”

About The Civil Rights Agenda

The Civil Rights Agenda’s mission is to maintain and increase individual rights forLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) citizens in Illinois through inter-generational volunteerism and community-driven project-based education, statewide coalition and network building, and leadership in supporting underserved communities, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Please find us online atwww.jointcra.org or email us at info@jointcra.org.

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About The Civil Rights Agenda

The Civil Rights Agenda’s mission is to maintain and increase individual rights forLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) citizens in Illinois through inter-generational volunteerism and community-driven project-based education, statewide coalition and network building, and leadership in supporting underserved communities, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Please find us online atwww.jointcra.org or email us at info@jointcra.org.

Media Contact

Anthony Martinez, Executive Director       amartinez@jointcra.org           312.863.9632

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