Less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled gay marriage is legal in all states, an Illinois county is taking steps to protect the rights of LGBT employees. Tuesday, the Rock Island County Board will review a resolution that affirms rights and protections are extended to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgendered county employees.
Rock Island County Board Republican Minority Caucus Leader, Drue Mielke, is co-sponsor of the resolution. He says it calls for including both sexual orientation and gender identity into county policies and expanding diversity training to include LGBT people.
The resolution would also ensure all married and civil union couples are included in Family and Medical Leave Act provisions. And, it would require contractors with county contracts to also have nondiscrimination policies that include LGBT people.
Mielke says Rock Island is one of the first counties to affirm rights for LGBT employees, and hopes it'll lead other municipalities to do the same.
And, the immediate focus is on LBGT rights, but Rock Island County plans to establish a Diversity Council, that would also deal with issues for minorities and people with disabilities.
The resolution is a bi-partisan effort, led by Nick Camlin, Vice-Chairman of the Rock Island County Board. It was passed last week by the Human Resources Committee, and the full County Board will make the final decision Tuesday.