HR0957

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives wish to recognize John Chester of Chicago on 
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the occasion of his retirement; and
 
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    WHEREAS, John Chester has been a key player in the 
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political and organizational development of Chicago's gay and 
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lesbian community for almost 30 years; a  native of Detroit, he 
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is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 
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telecommunications specialist by profession; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Chester's first Chicago involvement was with the 
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Uptown Center of Hull House; it was there that he learned how 
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to adapt his considerable administrative skills and 
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organizational abilities to best advantage within a not for 
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profit business environment; he chaired the Uptown Housing 
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Committee, working to combat redlining and develop decent low 
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income housing along the lakefront; as an offshoot of this and 
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to help the working poor to establish credit, Chester founded 
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and served as the president of the Northside Community Federal 
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Credit Union; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Chester was a founding board member of the 
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Crossroads Fund, also serving thereon as a gay/lesbian 
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community representative; he later served as a board member and 
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vice president of Dignity/Chicago during the period in which 
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the organization opened a permanent office; as a board member 
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and president of the Rodde Fund, he prompted the development of 
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the group's organizational infrastructure; he also served as a 
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board member and chair of Chicago House at a pivotal time in 
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this highly respected AIDS housing provider's organizational 
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evolution; and


 
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    WHEREAS, His first love, however, has always been politics; 
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in 1971, Chester joined Illinois Gays for Legislative Action to 
 


 






HR0957
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work on an early version of what would later become Chicago's 
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human rights ordinance; in 1973, he was a founding member of 
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the Gay Rights Task Force of the Alliance To End Repression, 
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which became the Illinois Gay Rights (now Gay and Lesbian) Task 
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Force; in 1977, he became co-chairperson of the IGRTF's State 
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bill project, remaining actively involved until 1983; during 
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the early 1980s, Chester was the president of OPEN 
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(Organization Promoting Equality Now), Chicago's first gay and 
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lesbian political action committee; he is currently the 
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president of the Illinois Federation for Human Rights Political 
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Action Committee, and he serves on the boards of directors of 
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Personal PAC, which supports "pro choice" candidates for 
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office, and Illinois Public Action, which promotes utility and 
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health care reform; and


 
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    WHEREAS, In addition, Chester has been highly visible in 
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his support of and work for many individual candidates for 
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public office; therefore, be it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate John Chester on his well deserved retirement and 
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wish him good health and happiness in all his future endeavors; 
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and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to John Chester as a token of our respect and esteem.