State’s only openly gay legislator stepping down
State’s only openly gay legislator stepping down
By Gary Barlow
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
State Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), the only openly gay man to serve in the Illinois Legislature, announced his retirement July 31 after 10 years as a legislator and more than four decades of public service.
“I decided to do it to give myself some time to do some traveling, to write, to maybe do some teaching,” McKeon said.
McKeon has battled health problems in recent years, in particular overcoming a bout with cancer last year. He’s also the only Illinois lawmaker known to be living with HIV, having been public about fighting that disease since the early 1990s. Recent biopsies have shown him to be cancer-free, but he said he wanted to be free from the stress of commuting to Springfield six months a year.
“It’s very stressful,” McKeon said. “People living with HIV—doctors tell you you’ve got to manage the stress. I’m not going away. I expect to be very visible in the community. ÉBut I’ll be working five or six months a year and traveling in my Winnebago motor home with my two greyhounds.”
McKeon’s public service goes back 42 years. For 12 years he was a police officer and administrator in Los Angeles, advancing to the rank of watch commander. He then went into education, teaching at California State University at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago.
After a stint as director of Metropolitan Family Services, McKeon was tapped by Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve as director of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and as the mayor’s liaison to the GLBT community.
But it was as a state legislator that McKeon made history, becoming the first openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly after winning election to represent the North Side’s 13th District in 1996.
In Springfield McKeon was a relentless advocate for GLBT rights, lobbying his fellow lawmakers session after session to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When the measure finally passed both the House and Senate in January 2005 and became law, many legislators said McKeon’s personal story had convinced them to support it.
McKeon was also known for his legislative advocacy for AIDS funding and the rights of people living with HIV. But he also represented other interests in his diverse district, including labor issues, funding for mass transit and other infrastructure needs and funding for improved facilities at Truman College.
“Larry’s had a very diverse profile and a diverse record and a very diverse array of interests,” said Ill. Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), who co-sponsored numerous legislative measures with McKeon.
Feigenholtz called McKeon “my wing-man” and said he’s going to be missed in Springfield.
“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’m happy for him moving on to the next chapter in his life, but I will miss him. ÉThere will never be another first openly gay elected official in the General Assembly. It gives one pause.”
McKeon also drew praise from Ill. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).
“Larry has always carried himself with tremendous degrees of reserve and humility—no small feat in the world of politics and rather uncommon traits for someone who is also rightly called a trailblazer,” Madigan said. “He will be greatly missed at the state Capitol.”
McKeon notified the Illinois State Board of Elections July 28 that he is withdrawing his nomination for reelection on the November ballot. The next move is up to the five Democratic ward committeemen in McKeon’s district. They must pick a nominee to replace McKeon and submit that candidate’s name to the board by Aug. 31.
McKeon is backing his longtime ally, attorney Jim Snyder, for the nomination. Snyder is openly gay and is currently serving as general counsel at the Illinois Commission on Human Rights.
“I learned a long time ago it’s the people you surround yourself with that make it possible for you to do good things and that’s why I’m recommending Jim Snyder,” McKeon said. “Jim is a very capable candidate and I sincerely hope he gets the job.”
Other candidates are likely to surface, including former lobbyist Kevin Thompson, who is reportedly interested in the seat. Thompson is also openly gay, is a former executive director of Equality Illinois and has close ties to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Thompson is currently vice president of Conlon Public Strategies, the firm founded by Democratic powerhouses Kevin Conlon and David Wilhelm.
By Gary Barlow
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
State Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago), the only openly gay man to serve in the Illinois Legislature, announced his retirement July 31 after 10 years as a legislator and more than four decades of public service.
“I decided to do it to give myself some time to do some traveling, to write, to maybe do some teaching,” McKeon said.
McKeon has battled health problems in recent years, in particular overcoming a bout with cancer last year. He’s also the only Illinois lawmaker known to be living with HIV, having been public about fighting that disease since the early 1990s. Recent biopsies have shown him to be cancer-free, but he said he wanted to be free from the stress of commuting to Springfield six months a year.
“It’s very stressful,” McKeon said. “People living with HIV—doctors tell you you’ve got to manage the stress. I’m not going away. I expect to be very visible in the community. ÉBut I’ll be working five or six months a year and traveling in my Winnebago motor home with my two greyhounds.”
McKeon’s public service goes back 42 years. For 12 years he was a police officer and administrator in Los Angeles, advancing to the rank of watch commander. He then went into education, teaching at California State University at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago.
After a stint as director of Metropolitan Family Services, McKeon was tapped by Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve as director of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and as the mayor’s liaison to the GLBT community.
But it was as a state legislator that McKeon made history, becoming the first openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly after winning election to represent the North Side’s 13th District in 1996.
In Springfield McKeon was a relentless advocate for GLBT rights, lobbying his fellow lawmakers session after session to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When the measure finally passed both the House and Senate in January 2005 and became law, many legislators said McKeon’s personal story had convinced them to support it.
McKeon was also known for his legislative advocacy for AIDS funding and the rights of people living with HIV. But he also represented other interests in his diverse district, including labor issues, funding for mass transit and other infrastructure needs and funding for improved facilities at Truman College.
“Larry’s had a very diverse profile and a diverse record and a very diverse array of interests,” said Ill. Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), who co-sponsored numerous legislative measures with McKeon.
Feigenholtz called McKeon “my wing-man” and said he’s going to be missed in Springfield.
“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’m happy for him moving on to the next chapter in his life, but I will miss him. ÉThere will never be another first openly gay elected official in the General Assembly. It gives one pause.”
McKeon also drew praise from Ill. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).
“Larry has always carried himself with tremendous degrees of reserve and humility—no small feat in the world of politics and rather uncommon traits for someone who is also rightly called a trailblazer,” Madigan said. “He will be greatly missed at the state Capitol.”
McKeon notified the Illinois State Board of Elections July 28 that he is withdrawing his nomination for reelection on the November ballot. The next move is up to the five Democratic ward committeemen in McKeon’s district. They must pick a nominee to replace McKeon and submit that candidate’s name to the board by Aug. 31.
McKeon is backing his longtime ally, attorney Jim Snyder, for the nomination. Snyder is openly gay and is currently serving as general counsel at the Illinois Commission on Human Rights.
“I learned a long time ago it’s the people you surround yourself with that make it possible for you to do good things and that’s why I’m recommending Jim Snyder,” McKeon said. “Jim is a very capable candidate and I sincerely hope he gets the job.”
Other candidates are likely to surface, including former lobbyist Kevin Thompson, who is reportedly interested in the seat. Thompson is also openly gay, is a former executive director of Equality Illinois and has close ties to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Thompson is currently vice president of Conlon Public Strategies, the firm founded by Democratic powerhouses Kevin Conlon and David Wilhelm.
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