Bill Text: IL HR0424 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates the 29th day of April as 40-to-None-Day (aka #40toNoneDay) in the State of Illinois and calls upon citizens, government agencies, the business community, service providers, advocates, LGBT youth, and elected officials of this State to increase awareness of LGBT youth homelessness and to engage in efforts to end homelessness, thereby strengthening the communities in which we live.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-30 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Arthur Turner [HR0424 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0424-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, There are an estimated 25,000 youth in Illinois | ||||||
3 | who experience
homelessness in the course of a year, 15,000 of | ||||||
4 | whom represent Chicago; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Approximately 40% of youth experiencing | ||||||
6 | homelessness identify as
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or | ||||||
7 | transgender (LGBT), yet LGBT youth make up less
than 7% of the | ||||||
8 | general youth population; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Stable housing is not only a basic necessity to | ||||||
10 | maintain health and youth safety, it also aids academic | ||||||
11 | achievement, employment seeking and stability, healthy
living, | ||||||
12 | and positive adolescent development; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Homeless youth face many daily challenges such as | ||||||
14 | lack of sufficient food,
lack of access to physical and mental | ||||||
15 | health care, lack of information and treatment of substance | ||||||
16 | dependence
and trauma, and lack of social support, and face | ||||||
17 | threats to their safety and survival
including violence and | ||||||
18 | exploitation; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Many factors contribute to LGBT youth | ||||||
20 | homelessness, the most commonly
cited reason is identity-based | ||||||
21 | family rejection; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Homeless LGBT youth face additional daily | ||||||
2 | survival challenges, they also
face additional obstacles, | ||||||
3 | including lack of safe emergency housing that is | ||||||
4 | gender-affirming
and recognizes transgender identity, lack of | ||||||
5 | social supports in their transition to
adulthood, compounded | ||||||
6 | discrimination and harassment based upon sexual orientation
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7 | and gender expression, and vulnerability to human trafficking; | ||||||
8 | and
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9 | WHEREAS, Reducing the disproportionate percentage of | ||||||
10 | homeless LGBT youth
requires our understanding of this issue | ||||||
11 | and the ways in which we can each contribute
to a solution; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Young people are better able to get the support | ||||||
13 | and services they need
when community members get involved in | ||||||
14 | preventing and ending youth homelessness; and
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15 | WHEREAS, LGBT youth homelessness is a national and local | ||||||
16 | community issue; finding
solutions depends upon leaders and | ||||||
17 | citizens in Illinois communities, including urban,
rural, and | ||||||
18 | suburban communities; and
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19 | WHEREAS, All citizens should become more aware of LGBT | ||||||
20 | youth homelessness
within the community, become more involved | ||||||
21 | in its prevention, and support solutions to
ensure that LGBT |
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1 | youth have a safe, nurturing environment; and
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2 | WHEREAS, The True Colors Fund developed a resource kit | ||||||
3 | identifying guided activities
to raise awareness of the issue | ||||||
4 | of LGBT youth homelessness and to build collaborative
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5 | solutions; and
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6 | WHEREAS, April 29, 2015 will be the first Forty-to-None Day | ||||||
7 | (aka #40toNoneDay), a
national day focused on raising awareness | ||||||
8 | about LGBT youth homelessness; therefore, be it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
10 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
11 | designate the 29th day of April as 40-to-None-Day (aka | ||||||
12 | #40toNoneDay) in the State of Illinois and call upon citizens, | ||||||
13 | government agencies, the business community, service | ||||||
14 | providers, advocates, LGBT youth, and elected officials of this | ||||||
15 | State to increase awareness of LGBT youth homelessness and to | ||||||
16 | engage in efforts to end homelessness, thereby strengthening | ||||||
17 | the communities in which we live; and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That individual agencies are encouraged to post | ||||||
19 | this resolution on their Internet websites; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
21 | delivered to each member of the
Illinois congressional |
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1 | delegation and to the Office of the Governor.
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