CHICAGO –  State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) calls on Downers Grove District 99 to protect LGBTQ+ youth in their community from hate and censorship by immediately rejecting calls to censor a queer positive book, GENDER QUEER, in the high school library.

“We have seen this play out across the country where right wing extremists have targeted this book for portraying LGBTQ+ youth in a positive light,” said Simmons. “We know firsthand that censorship efforts like this make queer youth feel more alone, and The Centers for Diesease control have reported that LGBTQ youth are more than three times as likely to seriously consider suicide than their peers who identify as straight.” 

Senator Simmons, the first openly LGBTQ senator in the Illinois General Assembly, is committed to ensuring that all schools in Illinois are places of safety, support, and learning for all youth.