A mayoral working group focused on anti-trans violence released its first report Tuesday, with recommendations for city agencies to create a “long-term strategy” to remove structural barriers for trans people.
The report outlined policy changes on a wide range of issues: housing, inclusive workplace practices, health care access, community organization partnerships and collecting more data, such as metrics on how many trans people the city employs.
Mayor Brandon Johnson created the group in December 2024 to review city policies and training related to hate crimes and violence against trans women of color.
The report hasn’t made its way to city agencies yet, so specific policies are sparse. A June 30 Chicago Health and Human Relations committee meeting will introduce it to City Council.
But Kenneth Gunn, head of the mayor’s Commission on Human Relations, said immediate action can be taken while city agencies discuss how to implement the recommendations. Improving advertisement of existing city services for trans residents is “low hanging fruit.”
The city health department is already compiling a list of local gender-affirming health care providers, though CDC funding rules sometimes “constrain action.”
Creating non-police alternatives for reporting hate crimes and making city workplaces more inclusive were among other suggestions. The group cited the case of CTA worker Ava Hudson, who died by suicide Aug. 7, 2024.
“People have to feel safe and supported in the workplace, that’s something I would’ve liked to see happen yesterday,” Gunn said. “Where else are these kinds of things happening… It was a wake up call for all of us.”
Some solutions “won’t be made overnight,” Gunn said.
The report recommended CPS partner with other city agencies to provide better access to mental health resources and health care for trans youth, citing Sun-Times reporting on rising trans teen suicides in Illinois.
Some who attended city community meetings seeking input for the report shared “horrific stories of violence that were not properly investigated” in instances where police refused to treat victims with dignity.
Others at the meetings said there was a gap between the city’s inclusive policies and the way city-run housing shelters act toward trans people seeking housing.
“Larger ones like housing, issues with public safety, will need lots of internal conversations in those departments,” Gunn said. “Identifying resources to address that is gonna be tough. There’s such a demand… It’s gonna take time to really be able to help house folks.”