Illinois launches statewide LGBTQ+ legal hotline and resource hub

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has announced the launch of IL Pride Connect, a statewide initiative offering free legal support and resources to LGBTQ+ residents and their families amid what officials describe as escalating federal attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.

The program, announced last Thursday evening at an event hosted by the Legal Council for Health Justice, features a first-of-its-kind legal hotline alongside a digital resource hub that connects residents to vital information on healthcare, housing, education, and civil rights. State officials said Illinois is the only state in the nation to provide such a service.

“In Illinois, we are fighting ignorance with information and cruelty with compassion,” Pritzker said at the announcement event, hosted by the Legal Council for Health Justice. “IL Pride Connect will inform individuals of their rights and connect them to health and social services support – making us the only state in the nation to provide free legal advice and advocacy tools to protect the LGBTQ+ community.”

The initiative includes a website, www.ilprideconnect.org, with legal FAQs, “know your rights” information, referrals to affirming legal and social services, and advocacy tools. It also features a legal hotline at 855-805-9200, operating Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Trained staff will provide real-time support on issues such as name and gender marker changes, housing and education rights, and access to healthcare and public benefits.

Backed by $250,000 in state funding and $100,000 in philanthropic support for legal staffing and accessibility, IL Pride Connect was developed with input from LGBTQ+ organizations across the state, including Equality Illinois, ALMA, Brave Space Alliance, Lambda Legal, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Pride Action Tank.

Officials emphasized that the program comes at a moment of heightened legal and policy threats to LGBTQ+ communities nationwide. “IL Pride Connect was shaped by the voices and leadership of LGBTQ+ communities across Illinois,” said Dulce M. Quintero, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. “This work is about solidarity and responsiveness – making sure our systems reflect the needs, strength, and lived realities of the people they serve.”

Julie Justicz, Executive Director of the Legal Council for Health Justice, said the initiative provides crucial support in the current climate. “In today’s political climate, LGBTQ+ Illinoisans need real, practical support,” she said. “IL Pride Connect offers exactly that: a statewide hub and live legal hotline staffed by people who understand, who care, and who are ready to help.”

The effort is supported by a network of local funders and foundations, including the Comer Family Foundation, Healthy Communities Foundation, Woods Fund Chicago, Field Foundation, and Alphawood Foundation Chicago. “Launching this statewide Resource Hub and Legal Hotline removes barriers to justice and provides a trusted lifeline for communities in need,” said Maria Pesqueira, President of the Healthy Communities Foundation.

Foundation leaders said the collaboration reflects a broader commitment to advancing health, safety, and equity for LGBTQ+ people. “Providing access to a dedicated, trustworthy source for legal guidance underlines the culturally competent and complex support network necessary to bolster the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender and non-binary individuals, in this moment,” stated Mary Pounder, Executive Director of the Comer Family Foundation.

Others echoed that the initiative is as much about resilience as it is about immediate support. “We know repressive policies and withdrawn resources disproportionately harm communities that are already disenfranchised,” said Michelle Morales, President of Woods Fund Chicago. “The Illinois Pride Connect legal hotline and resource hub are concrete acts of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in Chicago and beyond as they fight for rights we all deserve.”

For now, Illinois stands alone as the only state to establish a free legal hotline and statewide hub for LGBTQ+ communities. State leaders and advocates say they hope the program will become a model for others.

“IL Pride Connect is more than a hotline and a website,” Pritzker said. “It is a promise: that Illinois will continue to stand with our LGBTQ+ neighbors, families, and friends, no matter the threats they face.”

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