Thomas R. Chiola (born March 18, 1952) served as a judge of the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994 to 2009. He was the first openly gay person elected to public office in Illinois.Byron Flitsch, History-making gay judge set to retire, Windy City Times (January 6, 2010).
Early life and education Chiola grew up in Springfield, Illinois.Neal Pollack, In and Out, Chicago Reader (August 18, 1994). He graduated from Springfield's Griffin High School (now Sacred Heart-Griffin High School) in 1970. Chiola then received a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1977.Thomas R. Chiola - Lawyer Profile, Martindale. He served as an administrative law judge. He also served as general counsel of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.
Judicial service In 1994, Chiola was elected to the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County.Steve Schmadeke, Gay, lesbian judges in Cook County note their progress, Chicago Tribune (December 6, 2009).Joan Biskupic, Amid debate over rights, number of gay judges rising, USA Today (October 17, 2006). Chiola was the first openly gay candidate elected to any federal, state, county or municipal office in Illinois.
Honors In 1997, Chiola was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
See also List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Illinois List of LGBT jurists in the United States
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