Chicago to Consider Transgender Policy for Police

Chicago alderman Proco Joe Moreno plans to introduce an ordinance to regulate how police deal with transgender arrestees, Windy City Times reports.

The ordinance, which Moreno will bring to the City Council next month, would also set up a commission, appointed by the mayor, to oversee implementation of the policy.

"It's a human rights issue," Moreno (pictured) told the Times. His proposed ordinance will address a "hole in the policy of the police of Chicago," he added.

It comes after years of lobbying by LGBT rights groups and other organizations, along with complaints about police interactions with transgender Chicagoans. For instance, one transgender woman says she was arrested for solicitation while she was grocery shopping. And national surveys indicate many transgender people don’t feel comfortable asking police for assistance.

At the state level, a bill was recently introduced to add crimes based on gender identity to the Illinois hate-crimes law. It would also add crimes based on military status or immigration status.