|
|
| |
|
 | | Ellen A. Meyers | | | Inducted 2001 | | | Photo: Catherine Sikora | | As a lesbian and gay political organizer and now deputy director of intergovernmental affairs for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, she has spent more than 15 years in supporting human rights laws, persons affected by HIV/AIDS or aging, and electoral involvement. | |
|
| Ellen Meyers is a longtime and active member of Chicago’s lesbian and gay community. A native of Maryland, she is currently deputy director of inter-governmental affairs for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. | |
| That appointment makes her the highest-placed open lesbian in the executive branch of Illinois state government. It followed White’s 1999 post-election announcement that he would appoint her his liaison to the state’s GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) communities. | |
| Previously she served as liaison for lesbian and gay issues in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. | |
| Dorothy Brown, who was elected clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court in 2000, also appointed Meyers as co-chair of the Public Policy Subcommittee of her Transition and Strategic Planning Committee. | |
| Meyers is currently in her fourth term as chair of the board of directors of Equality Illinois, the statewide GLBT civil rights organization. She also serves on the group’s political action committee and is heavily involved in efforts to pass a statewide GLBT rights bill. She is a consultant on GLBT issues to several elected and appointed officials. | |
| She is a founding member of Horizons Community Services’ Lesbian and Gay Aging Task Force. As part of the struggle against AIDS, she has been a volunteer with Open Hand Chicago for more than 10 years and has been recognized with the 1999 Good Samaritan Award from Samaritan Housing Services, an agency serving persons with AIDS on Chicago’s South Side and in its south suburbs. She was also recognized with the 2001 President’s Award from the Greater Chicago Committee. | |
| Meyers is an award-winning filmmaker and a published author. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Lawrence University and a master of arts degree from Columbia College. She was also a National Endowment for the Arts fellow. | |
| This biography is as of the induction date. It has not been updated. |
| Your feedback is important to us. Please feel free to Contact Us with any correction, suggestions, or feedback. By using this link it will identify the specific item on which you are providing feedback. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
© 1999-2013 Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame |
|
3712 North Broadway, Suite 637, Chicago,
Illinois 60613-4235 USA |
|
773-281-5095 |
|
Site Last Updated 06/15/2013 •
Contact
Webmaster |
|
|
|
|
