Chicago Activist Mary Morten will be honored for her work on behalf of rights for the GLBT community by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois at the organization's 2004 Bill of Rights Celebration Saturday, Oct. 2 at Chicago's Hyatt Regency Hotel. The award, the John R. Hammell Award, recognizes Morten's efforts to assure that basic constitutional rights encompass the GLBT community, through advocacy inside and outside of government.
The Hammell Award, established in 1995 and named for the founding director of the ACLU Projects, recognize the volunteer and professional achievements of individuals and organizations who—through their leadership, advocacy and education—defend and advance the rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexual, transgender persons and HIV-impacted persons.
The ACLU of Illinois Board of Directors voted earlier this year for each individual to receive awards at the 2004 Bill of Rights Celebration. The honor will be presented before an expected gathering of more than 600 ACLU supporters.
Morten serves as president of the Morten Group, a Chicago consulting firm specializing in public policy and advocacy. In a distinguished career of advocacy, Morten served as Director of the Office of Violence Prevention for the Chicago Public Department of Health, Executive Vice President for the Women's Self-Employment Center, and as President of the Chicago Foundation for Women. She made her mark on the community, however, while serving as Mayor Richard Daley's liaison to the GLBT community and as Director/Liaison to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.