CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Don’t miss our latest news! Sign up today for our free newsletter.
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A woman who sought housing at a Chicago homeless shelter but was turned away because she is a lesbian is filing a complaint over the matter. Michelle Wang, 27, came to the Chicago from Indianapolis last year with her partner, but their relationship ended, leaving her without a home, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which is handling her case.
On October 31, 2006, a coworker drove Wang to the city Department of Human Services. An employee was unable to find a shelter where she could stay the night and asked her to return the following day. That night Wang stayed in an unheated building and returned to the the department's offices the next morning. The employee called and confirmed that New Life Interim Housing, which is operated by a Christian group but receives some city funding, had beds available and put Wang on the phone with a New Life staffer.
When the staffer asked Wang why she was homeless, Wang disclosed that her girlfriend had asked her to leave their apartment when their relationship ended. The staffer put Wang on hold, returning to say that there were no beds available. The Human Services employee asked a colleague to phone the shelter and check on the availability of beds, and that employee found that New Life indeed had space available.
"I am disturbed that I was denied shelter, left to the cold and the danger because of something so trivial," Wang told the Chicago Tribune in an article published last week.
The Reverend Bud Ogle, cofounder of the ministry that runs New Life, attributed the incident to a misunderstanding about whether the beds were available, not to antigay discrimination, the Tribune reported. He added that he was relying on staffers' word about the matter.
The ACLU of Illinois is filing complaints against the shelter with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. It also may file suit in Cook County circuit court, the Tribune reported. City officials plan to initiate mandatory antidiscrimination training for shelters that receive city funds. (The Advocate)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lauren Boebert Caught Fondling Date’s Genitals During Family-Friendly Musical: Video
September 15 2023 11:20 PM
Don’t miss our latest news! Sign up today for our free newsletter.
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Olivia Hill of Nashville Council Is First Trans Person Elected in Tennessee
September 15 2023 7:14 PM
While LGBTQ+ Community Embraces Open Marriages, Straight Society Is Scandalized: Poll
September 15 2023 4:54 PM
Mike Pence Shifts to ‘Gender Ideology’ When Asked About Anti-Trans Violence
September 15 2023 4:17 PM
Sigmund Freud Said Homosexuality Wasn’t ‘A Vice or a Crime’ in 1938 Letter
September 15 2023 12:18 PM
Chick-fil-A Returns to U.K. After LGBTQ+ Rights Backlash Forced a Retreat
September 15 2023 10:31 AM
Transgender Woman Wins $125,000 After Settling Discrimination Suit with American Samoa
September 14 2023 5:00 PM
George Michael Wanted to Make ‘Hardcore Porn’ Version of 1998 Music Video
September 14 2023 4:00 PM