CHICAGO — Equality Illinois, originally established in 1991 under the name Illinois Federation for Human Rights, has long championed the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout the state.

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This month marks a significant milestone for the organization as it welcomes a new CEO who is set to make history.

Channyn Lynne Parker steps into the role as the first Black, transgender woman to lead Equality Illinois, ushering in a new era for the advocacy group.

Before her groundbreaking appointment, Parker was at the helm of Brave Space Alliance as CEO. Her impressive career also includes influential positions at the University of Chicago and Howard Brown Health, among other notable institutions.

Most recently, she’s served as CEO of Brave Space Alliance. Her career’s also taken her to the University of Chicago and Howard Brown Health among other stops.

Parker says the summation of all her work and experience “brought me to where I’m at.”

The guiding principle throughout her career, “that everyone wants a good life. Everyone deserves to be seen and heard and valued. Not just through words, but through action.”

Parker says she knows what it’s like to be overlooked and counted out “because of identity… So, it is my mandate and responsibility to ensure that I am a good advocate and champion for those who also need to be heard as well.”

She believes that people have more in common, than not.

“I believe that we just express our desires in different ways. So, for me, it is my goal to say ‘Look, we’ve all got to make it out of this together in one piece. And the more we can lock arms, the better off we’ll be,” she said.