LGBTQ Community Members, Leaders Announce Creation of Northwest Suburban Pride Action Fund
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Area LGBTQ+ residents and leaders are announcing the creation of the Northwest Suburban Pride Action Fund (NWSPAF), a non-partisan political action committee focused on ensuring residents of the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago will truly be represented by their local elected officials.
“As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and resident of the Northwest Suburbs, I know how crucial representation and support from our local officials is,” said Austin Mejdrich, founder of the NWSPAF. “The disappointing and sometimes hypocritical actions of too many of our local officials banning or tucking away symbols of support for the LGBTQ+ community is just a recent example of the need to elect true leaders in our communities.
“The LGBTQ+ community and our ever-growing number of supporters vote, and it’s high time our elected officials remember that,” Mejdrich said.
“True representation means following up our words with actions,” said Arlington Heights Library Board Trustee and Chairperson of the NWSPAF Debbie Smart. “As the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in Arlington Heights, I know firsthand how much change we can make when our leaders reflect the makeup and needs of our communities. I have always served with pride and encourage others to do the same.”
“LGBTQ+ people live in every town and village in the Northwest suburbs,” said Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. “Visibility and representation save lives – and it’s powerful when our municipalities show solidarity with the community. Too often, forces stand in the way of progress, and we will continue to fight to ensure our local units of government work with the LGBTQ+ community to advance equality for all.”
In addition to its work elevating the civic voices of local LGBTQ+ residents, the NWSPAF plans to serve as a resource for LGBTQ+ people in the Northwest Suburbs.
“So long as hate crimes still happen in the Northwest Suburbs like the incident last year in Barrington, or LGBTQ+ young people are kicked out of their homes for affirming who they are, the NWSPAF stands with our neighbors in making the Northwest Suburbs a truly welcoming place for all,” Mejdrich said.
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