The Civil Rights Agenda

The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) is an Illinois civil-rights advocacy organization founded in June 2010 by Chicago attorney Jacob Meister. Its stated focus is maintaining and expanding the individual rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people through community participation, project-based education, statewide coalition building, and leadership development in underserved communities. Rather than operating as a commercial consumer brand, TCRA functions as a nonprofit-style advocacy identity associated with public-policy campaigns, legal and educational initiatives, and community organizing. TCRA emerged during a period of significant change in Illinois LGBT policy. Its work addressed discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, same-sex civil rights, workplace inclusion, foster care and adoption policy, voter participation, and the relationship between publicly funded services and religious organizations. The organization used public statements, legislative advocacy, complaints to government agencies, coalition work, voter education, and community projects to advance its objectives. The organization’s founder, Jacob Meister, is a Chicago lawyer whose practice has included matters involving interstate commerce, telecommunications, discrimination, and civil rights. Before establishing TCRA, he worked in federal and state government and became known as the first openly gay candidate to seek the United States Senate seat from Illinois that had been vacated in 2008 by Barack Obama. Meister served as TCRA’s governing board president. Rick Garcia, a veteran Illinois LGBT policy advocate and co-founder of Equality Illinois, joined TCRA as a policy adviser in March 2012. Anthony Martinez was identified in contemporary coverage as TCRA’s executive director and spokesperson on several public campaigns. Among TCRA’s early policy interventions was opposition to Illinois Senate Bill 1123 in 2011. The proposal would have allowed religious agencies receiving public funds for adoption and foster-care services to reject openly gay prospective parents while continuing to participate in those programs. TCRA worked alongside organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Family Equality Council, and Log Cabin Republicans in opposing the measure, which did not pass. The organization also criticized Catholic Charities after several Illinois dioceses ended or challenged state-funded adoption and foster-care arrangements following the implementation of policies extending foster-parent eligibility to same-sex and unmarried couples. TCRA received national attention in 2012 through its response to the Chick-fil-A controversy over statements and charitable donations associated with opposition to same-sex marriage. The organization filed complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and argued that the company’s public posture and corporate culture were hostile to LGBT people. Later that year, TCRA announced that Chick-fil-A had agreed to stop donating to organizations that promoted discrimination against LGBT people. The company did not publicly confirm all of the organization’s interpretation, although it stated in an internal document that it would treat people equally regardless of sexual orientation. Subsequent reporting disputed whether the company had accepted the broader conditions described by TCRA. TCRA’s program structure included a Workplace Project offering policy advocacy, legal assistance for people facing workplace discrimination, and diversity training for corporate partners. Its Voter Project provided nonpartisan policy education, supported statewide voter registration, and developed an LGBT Census intended to improve understanding of community views. The Chicago LGBT Citywide Coalition, formed during the 2011 Chicago mayoral campaign, brought together more than 30 local organizations to coordinate representation of LGBT concerns. Other initiatives included the Faith Project, which engaged people of faith in support of LGBTQ justice, and Families United, which promoted equality for families across Illinois through advocacy, social media, and community building. Public information in the supplied reference material provides substantial documentation of TCRA’s founding period, projects, and campaigns but does not establish its current operating status, present leadership, financial position, or post-2012 activities. Those fields are therefore left unconfirmed.

The Civil Rights Agenda was founded in June 2010 by Jacob Meister, a Chicago attorney and former Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in Illinois. Meister had worked in federal and state government before practicing law and had handled matters involving discrimination and civil rights, as well as interstate commerce and telecommunications. His public profile as an openly gay political candidate informed the organization’s emphasis on LGBTQ equality and civic participation. He became TCRA’s governing board president. The organization developed in the context of Illinois’ expanding legal recognition of same-sex relationships and continuing disputes over discrimination, family policy, and public funding. TCRA described its work as a combination of volunteerism, education, coalition development, and support for communities lacking adequate resources. Its activities were directed primarily at Illinois policy and community institutions rather than at commercial services. In 2011, TCRA helped organize opposition to Illinois Senate Bill 1123. The bill would have permitted religious agencies to avoid placing children with openly gay prospective parents while continuing to receive public funding for adoption and foster-care work. TCRA joined the ACLU, Family Equality Council, and Log Cabin Republicans in opposing the measure, which was defeated. That same year, the organization responded to the decision by the Rockford Diocese to end a state-funded adoption and foster-care program. The dioceses of Joliet, Springfield, and Belleville also pursued litigation seeking permission to participate in state programs without complying with provisions associated with Illinois’ civil-union law. After a state court ruled against the church position, Catholic Charities abandoned the lawsuit. TCRA publicly framed the dispute as a question of whether taxpayer-funded child-welfare providers could exclude qualified families on religious grounds. During the 2011 Chicago mayoral election, TCRA helped form the Chicago LGBT Citywide Coalition. The coalition included more than 30 Chicago-area organizations and continued meeting after the election to coordinate LGBT policy priorities and represent community concerns. This work reflected TCRA’s broader strategy of connecting local advocacy groups rather than relying solely on standalone legislative campaigns. Rick Garcia joined TCRA as a policy adviser in March 2012. Garcia had been active in Illinois gay-rights legislative work since the 1980s and had helped establish Equality Illinois in 1991. His participation gave TCRA additional experience in statewide policy advocacy. Contemporary material also identifies Anthony Martinez as TCRA’s executive director and as a spokesperson in the organization’s public campaigns. TCRA became particularly visible in August and September 2012 during the public controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A’s statements and charitable giving on same-sex marriage. It filed complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, arguing that the company’s public communications and corporate culture were objectionable under Illinois human-rights protections. In September, TCRA announced that Chick-fil-A had ceased donations to organizations promoting discrimination against LGBT people. The company did not confirm the full claim, and later reports disputed whether it had agreed to stop supporting groups associated with a traditional definition of marriage. The episode illustrated TCRA’s use of regulatory complaints, media advocacy, and corporate accountability campaigns. TCRA’s stated program portfolio included the Workplace Project, which supported enforcement of Illinois protections against workplace discrimination, provided legal assistance, and offered diversity training to companies. The Voter Project promoted nonpartisan policy education, voter registration, and an LGBT Census intended to document community perspectives. The Faith Project connected people of faith with LGBTQ justice efforts, while Families United focused on equality for LGBT families through advocacy and community activity. The available reference material does not document a complete later history, current leadership, financial information, or confirmed present-day operational status. The organization’s current status is consequently recorded as unknown rather than assumed to be active or defunct.

• 2012

  Rick Garcia joins as policy adviser

  [1]The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  Veteran Illinois LGBT policy advocate Rick Garcia joined TCRA as a policy adviser.

• 2012

  Chick-fil-A complaints and policy controversy

  [1]The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  TCRA filed Illinois human-rights complaints concerning Chick-fil-A and later publicized what it viewed as a change in the company’s charitable-giving and equal-treatment policies.

• 2011

  Opposition to Senate Bill 1123

  [1]The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  TCRA joined a coalition opposing legislation that would have allowed publicly funded religious agencies to reject openly gay prospective foster and adoptive parents. The proposal was defeated.

• 2011

  Chicago LGBT Citywide Coalition formed

  [1]The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  TCRA helped establish a coalition of more than 30 Chicago LGBT organizations during the mayoral election and continued coalition activity afterward.

• 2010

  Organization founded

  [1]The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  Jacob Meister founded The Civil Rights Agenda in Illinois to advance LGBTQ civil rights through advocacy, education, coalition building, and community support.

An Illinois-focused LGBTQ civil-rights advocacy organization combining legislative advocacy, community education, legal and workplace support, voter engagement, and cross-sector coalition building.

Product categories. Civil-rights policy advocacy · LGBTQ community education · Workplace discrimination assistance · Diversity and inclusion training · Voter education and registration · Coalition building · Faith-community engagement · Family-equality advocacy

• 2012Chick-fil-A accountability campaign

  Illinois

  TCRA submitted complaints to the Illinois Department of Human Rights and publicly challenged Chick-fil-A’s positions and charitable affiliations concerning LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.

  Outcome. TCRA announced a policy change by Chick-fil-A, but the company did not confirm the full claim and later reporting disputed the scope of any commitment.

  Source
• 2011Senate Bill 1123 opposition campaign

  Illinois

  TCRA mobilized with civil-rights, family, and LGBT organizations against a proposal that would have permitted publicly funded religious agencies to exclude openly gay prospective parents from adoption and foster-care services.

  Outcome. The bill was defeated.

  Source
• 2011Chicago LGBT Citywide Coalition

  Chicago · Illinois

  TCRA helped coordinate a coalition of more than 30 Chicago-area organizations to represent LGBT concerns during and after the 2011 mayoral election.

  Outcome. The coalition continued meeting after the election, according to the available reference material.

  Source

• 2012

  File human-rights complaints concerning Chick-fil-AOther

  Background

  TCRA argued that Chick-fil-A’s public statements and alleged corporate culture opposing LGBT equality could conflict with Illinois human-rights protections.

  Action taken

  The organization filed complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

  Aftermath

  TCRA later said the company had stopped donating to organizations promoting LGBT discrimination, although Chick-fil-A did not confirm the complete claim and subsequent reports disputed it.

  Source

1. 1The Civil Rights Agendaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Civil Rights Agenda official websitejointcra.org