Illinois bills that would update existing laws to be more gender inclusive and add protections for LGBTQ+ marriages are ready for action by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said he would sign them. The bills’ sponsor and the first and only current “out” LGBTQ+ lawmaker in the Illinois Senate, Sen. Mike Simmons, said that the trio of state bills passed last week are meant to move the state in the “opposite direction” of those restricting LGBTQ+ youth. Illinois is one of several U.S. states that have moved to counteract a surge of anti-LGBTQ legislation in mostly Republican-led states. #LGBTQ+ Civil Rights