By Neil Steinberg
The Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — In 1992, when five Chicago Police officers marched in the city’s Gay Pride Parade -- the first time cops publically participated in that event -- fellow officers working crowd control snubbed them as they passed.
“They turned their backs on us,” said Kathy Dore, one of the five, who retired last year after 27 years on the force.
By 1999, the Fraternal Order of Police was paying for its float and now, with Chicago’s gay and lesbian officers hosting an international police symposium at the Palmer House Hilton -- the 14th Annual International LGBT Conference for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice -- it seems an apt moment to pause and credit the CPD for doing something extraordinary regarding the gay community.
“They have changed,” said J. Jamie Richardson, a 20th District officer and president of LGPA-GOAL Chicago, or the Lesbian Gay Police Association/Gay Officers Action League. “They aren’t that bad.”
Faint praise, perhaps, but still a surprising shift for those who remember when the Chicago Police had poor relations with the gay community and few out officers. Today, GOAL claims to have 1,000 members between the city, suburban and state departments, where progress can be even more grudging.
“Everybody’s changing -- some people want to, some people are being forced to,” said Illinois State Police Lt. Joe Micci. “The State Police have been borderline homophobic for years -- they have never supported anybody being out. I’m the first person who was supported all the way up the chain of command.”
When I attended GOAL’s final meeting for the conference at the Town Hall station last week, I expected something quiet, maybe even covert: a handful of determined officers grimly planning in hostile territory.
Instead, there were two dozen off-duty cops, in shorts and T-shirts, young, old, men, women, transgender -- a general term used to describe people who don’t identify with the gender on their birth certificates. They were packing heat, wearing badges, eating cookies, laughing and going over last-minute preparations -- tickets sold, hats designed, posters printed.
“This has been an incredible two years of work and planning,” Richardson said. “This is a very significant, historic moment. This is a huge step. I can’t believe the police department agreed to do this” -- “this” meaning take part in the conference, which is drawing 400 officers from around the globe.
The conference began Tuesday evening -- a reception with Mayor Daley -- and runs through Sunday’s Pride Parade. Sessions include mainstream topics such as “Effects of the Taser” and “Terrorism Awareness,” and gay-specific topics, such as sexual-orientation hate crime, same-sex pensions and “Transgender Issues Within Law Enforcement,” featuring a presentation by South Elgin Deputy Chief A.J. Moore, the highest-ranking transgender officer in Illinois. (CPD has four transgender officers, Richardson said).
To be honest, I felt behind the times -- this wasn’t the CPD as I understood it to be. It’s a common misperception.
“Many people think of the Chicago Police Department as being one of the last bastions of homophobia in the city and that’s just not true,” said Bill Greaves, the city’s liaison to the gay community. “They would be surprised at how the department has improved over the past 10 years.”
This is not to suggest that the police department will ditch its checkered hatbands and start outfitting officers with rainbow bands. They are permitting Chicago cops to attend the conference, but it doesn’t count as work or training.
“They’re giving us permission to do it,” said Richardson. “Giving permission is not the same as sending people. We were hoping they would send people.”
And while some officers are comfortable with their orientation being known, many are not, and for good reason.
“We have over 1,000 members, but half of our membership is still anonymous,” said Richardson. “Half of them are not out, half of them are afraid to come to events.”
Afraid of what?
“Issues still happen,” she said. “It depends on what district you’re in. It can run from subtle talking behind your back to extreme harassment, things being put on your locker, no backing up, refusing to work with you -- now, because of the political atmosphere, they do it in a subtle way -- pictures go up, anonymous comments are made.”
But more Chicago Police officers feel they can be honest about themselves.
“I’m really open in my district,” said Roel Doherty-Roque, an officer at the 20th District’s Lincoln Station. “I have four kids. I have nothing to hide. I bring my kids to the float, in full uniform, just to show the general public that we are equal.”
Well, not quite equal. If Doherty-Roque were gunned down in the line of duty, his partner of 23 years, Richard, would not benefit the way a newlywed straight cop’s spouse would.
“We pay the same as everybody else in the department, yet if we were to be killed in the line of duty, our partners wouldn’t get anything,” Richardson said. “That’s really an issue with us.”
Richardson, a 16-year vet, still works midnight patrol and does not bother with detective’s exams. “Someone not concerned with promotion can be more outspoken,” she said.
As the meeting ended, District 23 Cmdr. Kathleen Boehmer stopped by to say hello. She’s taking part in the conference.
“We see this as something good for the department,” she said. “We get to talk to officers from all over the world -- it’s a chance to learn from them.”
As someone on the force 31 years, who remembers “a department with not many women on it,” Boehmer said much has changed.
“The diversity is amazing,” she said.
Copyright 2010 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.