Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez hosted her third annual Pride Celebration at Center on Halsted June 26, just days after she announced support for lawsuits aimed at the county that seek marriage equality in Illinois.
More than 80 people attended the event, which honored 13th District state Rep. Greg Harris and Commission on Human Relations Director Mona Noriega.
Attendees gathered for an evening reception with Alvarez and other elected officials, followed by an awards ceremony.
Alvarez received a standing ovation from attendees for her decision not to fight the two marriage-equality lawsuits, filed in late May by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and aimed at Cook County Clerk David Orr.
All three officials who could have fought the lawsuitsAlvarez, Orr and Attorney General Lisa Madiganhave refused to do so.
Alvarez discussed the lawsuits in a retrospective speech on her relationship with Chicago's LGBT community.
"This decision was unprecedented, I recognize that," said Alvarez. But, she added, "This particular decision truly was a no-brainer."
Alvarez said that the entire civil division in her office agreed unanimously that the ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's equal-protection clause.
"There was no backstory. There was no infighting," she said, noting that several reporters had asked if the decision was controversial within her office.
Dan Kirk, Alvarez's chief of staff and an openly gay man himself, also said that the State's Attorney's office had been agreement about the lawsuits.
"It wasn't what we were expecting but we're damn glad it's happening," said Kirk.
According to Kirk, no one has yet intervened to fight the lawsuits. He predicted that they will result in marriage equality throughout the state.
But Harris, who Alvarez presented with the Pride Community Service Award, warned of a long road ahead for marriage equality advocates and pressed attendees to get out the vote for LGBT-supportive officials in upcoming elections.
"Hatred is out there. Bigotry is out there," said Harris.
Harris commended the state's attorney's office on its stance regarding the marriage lawsuits, stating that decision took more courage than they let on.
Noriega, who also accepted the Pride Community Service Award, reflected on the progress LGBT people have made since the early pride parades.
"Can I say ... have we come such a long way?" Noriega said. "How many people were at [Sunday's] parade?"
Noriega noted that early pride parades were often sparsely attended and scary to walk in, a far cry from the June 24 Pride Parade, which drew an estimated 850,000 people.
Also honored was young activist Andria Perez, who received the LGBT Pride Celebration Scholarship.
WGN's Dean Richards emceed the evening.