Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Kirk, Biggert and IL Dems vote special protections for transgenders Two Republican and all but one Democratic member of the Illinois U.S. Congressional delegation voted to make transgenders a new protected class in federal law last Thursday. Republicans Mark Kirk and Judy Biggert, as well as Democrats Melissa Bean, Jerry Costello, Danny Davis, Bill Foster, Luis Guitierrez, Debbie Halvorson, Phil Hare, Bill Lipinski, Mike Quigley, Bobby Rush and Jan Schakowsky voted for H.R. 1913, tucked within a larger difficult-to-oppose Defense Authorization bill. Eagle Forum explained: H.R. 1913 makes a hate crime — a crime in which the...