Pride Proclamation and Human Rights Award
On June 4, 2007, the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees declared June, 2007, to be LGBT Pride Month in the Village of Oak Park. This is an annual tradition and one worth repeating.
In addition, at the same night’s Village Board meeting, OPALGA Public Policy Chair Alan Amato was awarded the Human Rights Award by the Community Relations Commission. This award recognizes individuals, local businesses, and organizations who have worked to foster and promote human rights, diversity, and equality in the Oak Park community. OPALGA received this award in 2006.
Alan was recognized with this award because of his energy, dedication, and the variety of service that he has provided to Oak Park, the surrounding area, and the state of Illinois.
Alan has a background as a legislative aide to an Illinois House member. When he moved to Oak Park in 1985, he became aware of the growing problem in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, and he left his work at the Illinois House to become a community organizer and to focus on social work.
Devastated by the growing AIDS plague, Alan worked with a fledgling AIDS organization, now called Vital Bridges. Through this connection, Alan joined in convincing the Board of Trustees to add the term “sexual orientation” to the village’s Human Rights Ordinance.
Given this victory, Alan and others established OPALGA. In addition to developing public policy stances, Alan has been a member of the OPALGA board of directors, and he helped to spearhead the efforts to add domestic partnership benefits for employees of Oak Park and River Forest High School and the Village of Oak Park.
Alan then started the Pride Agenda Book Store on the Marion Street Mall. Pride Agenda quickly became a LGBT center, and Alan quickly recognized that he should join in the effort to establish a Domestic Partnership Registry in the Village. The Village of Oak Park was the first city in the nation to affirm a Domestic Partnership Registry by popular vote.
Alan has also continued his ties to the Illinois House, working with both Judy Barr Topinka and Barak Obama to draft statements on gay and lesbian issues.
Currently employed at Tan Travel, Alan has organized trips to Europe and South America for gay, lesbian, and straight travelers.
In 2002, Alan was named to the Wednesday Journal’s list of Top 100 Oak Parkers for his work on behalf of diversity and human rights. Alan is now also a board member of the Animal Care League and the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Alan is a true community-builder who understands the value and importance of civil discourse and of building diversity, and we enthusiastically congratulate him on receiving the 2007 Human Rights Award. Congratulations, Alan!
