“Since declaring a Transfemicide State of Emergency, our administration has strengthened the City’s capacity to support LGBTQ+ Chicagoans,” Brandon Johnson said.
Harmeet Dhillon, the Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, announced on Monday that her office will be investigating whether the city of Chicago is giving preferential treatment to trans-identified Chicagoans.
Dhillon wrote, "Reminder that ALL Chicagoans are entitled to the equal protection of the laws. If Chicago uses this inchoate gibberish theory to preference government spoils to trans identifying people or subordinate women’s rights, @CivilRights will investigate & take action, if appropriate."
https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2069033202157576352?s=20
The post came in response to one from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who wrote, "For too many transgender Chicagoans, the sense of belonging they deserve in their city has been denied by exclusion and barriers to opportunity in spaces that should feel safe and welcoming."
"Since declaring a Transfemicide State of Emergency, our administration has strengthened the City’s capacity to support LGBTQ+ Chicagoans. This framework builds on that work by centering the voices and lived experiences of trans Chicagoans to chart a path toward a safer, more connected city," he added.
In a press release issued by Johnson’s office on Tuesday, he said he is "advancing a new community-driven framework to strengthen support for transgender Chicagoans," which builds on the city’s 2024 declaration of a "Transfemicide State of Emergency."
The framework announced by Johnson’s office identified five "priority areas for action": Build transparent public metrics and accountability structures; invest in trans-led organizations and sustained community partnerships; expand safe, affirming housing and shelter and trauma-informed, community-based safety options; strengthen inclusive hiring, workforce pathways, and economic supports; and improve access to gender-affirming and mental health care.
The framework seeks to increase access to "safe, gender-affirming housing and shelter while strengthening trauma-informed approaches to violence prevention and survivor support," as well as strengthen "trust between transgender residents and the Chicago Police Department through ongoing engagement, training, and accountability measures that promote respectful and affirming interactions."
Additionally, the framework from Johnson’s office seeks to expand "employment opportunities, workforce development programs, small business resources, and reentry supports to address economic instability and create pathways to long-term economic security for transgender and gender-expansive residents," and to increase access to sex change treatments, mental health services, legal support, and "trusted resources that help residents navigate challenges, improve well-being, and live healthy, self-determined lives." The framework "places particular emphasis on addressing gaps in care for trans youth, migrants, residents experiencing homelessness, and others who face barriers to accessing services and support."
The framework comes after a report was released by the "Transfemicide Working Group," which found that there are "barriers to safe, affirming housing" for transgender Chicagoans, that there is "widespread" employment discrimination "particularly against Black and Brown trans applicants, especially youth," a "deep, rooted" mistrust of government, "especially CPD," and other findings.
The report was dedicated to 22 " transgender and gender-diverse Chicagoans, most of them Black or Brown transwomen who were lost to perpetrator violence between 2005 and 2026." The report noted that it included victims of suicide in its analysis.
In response to Dhillon’s post, Johnson wrote, "Chicago doesn’t blink. To every member of our LGBTQ+ community: you are, and will continue to be, supported to safely be your whole self in our great city. Happy Pride."
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