Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act
Illinois Celebrates Human Rights Day
December marks the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act
IPHA joins advocates across the state and the world in commemorating International Human Rights Day and the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA).
Inspired by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the IHRA was signed into law by Governor James R. Thompson on Dec. 6, 1979, establishing the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC) as the state agencies responsible for enforcing the IHRA. The IHRA now prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, financial credit, and education on the basis of more than 20 protected classes. Those categories include race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. Recent additions include anti-discrimination protections in employment for conviction record and work authorization status and in housing for source of income and immigration status.
In 2024, five bills were passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pritzker to include new protections for reproductive health decisions and family responsibilities in employment that go into effect in January 2025. Another amendment expands the statute of limitations (time limit) for individuals to file a charge of discrimination from 300 days to 2 years, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The expanded time to file a charge applies only to employment, public accommodations, education, and financial credit cases. For housing cases, the time remains unchanged, one year to file a charge with IDHR or 2 years to file a complaint in circuit court.
Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10 December. It commemorates the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The 2024 theme is: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now and is a call to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights in our everyday lives.
“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”
Nelson Mandela, South African civil rights activist