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TBP--Profile: Openly lesbian Illinois lawmaker Deb Mell

Two weeks ago, I was very fortunate to interview that amazing Representative Deb Mell, Illinois' only openly lesbian lawmaker. I am only now getting the interview up--thanks so much start of the semester--but its awesome. There's a lot of good stuff there. This is just tip of the iceberg. I really think you should finish this piece over at Bilerico. Near the end we talked about the plan for relationship recognition and how Illinois is going to help the nation pass ENDA. Its really worth checking out.

Here's my Bilerico piece "Profile: Openly lesbian Illinois lawmaker Deb Mell"
Over the past few months I've told you a lot about the folks who are
aspiring to be out LGBT elected leaders in Illinois, but two people I would love
to tell you a lot more about are our two openly gay lawmakers Deb Mell and Greg Harris. Both serve the state
in the Illinois Assembly. I got a chance to interview Chicago resident,
political family scion and freshman lawmaker Deb Mell and talk about her first
year in the Illinois Assembly.

Deb Mell may be new to writing the law, but she's no newbie to
activism. Mell was arrested at the Cook County Clerk office in the earlier part
of the last decade while demonstrating for marriage equality.

"Actually, I got arrested for storming into the street." said
Representative Mell with a laugh when I asked her about it, "It was a marriage
protest--we did a sit-in a couple weeks later--I don't want you to think I got
arrested for getting a marriage license; I wasn't even dating anyone at the
time. Now I would definitely. Now I have a partner..."

Please go to Bilerico.com to find out more about where Illinois is heading in "Profile: Openly lesbian Illinois lawmaker Deb Mell"

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