Rainbow flags and pro-gay legislation signs decorated the front of Holy Name Cathedral as Gay Liberation Network ( GLN ) members and supporters protested for the freedom to marry for the LGBT community.
GLN, a group that focuses and rallies for LGBT equal rights, launched its "Freedom to Marry" protest Feb. 13 to target Catholic leaders' opposition to LGBT equality. In particular, the protest was in opposition to Cardinal Francis George and other Catholic leaders who have worked against LGBT legislation in Springfield.
The protest centered on three demands that included the opposition of anti-LGBT bigotry of the Catholic hierarchy and instead support of the many pro-equal rights Catholics organizing for change within the denomination; demand of full equal marriage rights in Illinois; and demand that tax dollars no longer go to tax-exempt religious groups that refuse to commit to equal rights for LGBT people. According to GLN co-founder Andy Thayer, the protest is not against the Catholic Church, but instead opposing the anti-gay leadership found in the Catholic Church.
"Their leadership is out of step with reality. It's important for anti-gay leaders to be called out for their bigotry. There's also no secret that anti-gay leaders will clothe their bigotry with the cloth," said GLN co-founder Andy Thayer.
GLN's demonstration actually served a dual purpose. In addition to fighting for LGBT rights, the protest was a stand for freedom to assembly and freedom of speech. Current city legislation prohibits demonstrations in the public way within 150 feet and one half hour of a religious service in a place of worship. However, the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) of Illinois deemed such legislation as a violation of the First Amendment. According to the ACLU, the ordinance that bans protesting near places of worship contains an exemption for labor picketing, creating speaker-based and content-based discrimination. ACLU asked the Chicago Police Department to alert it if officers were going to enforce the ordinance at the GLN's demonstration. In response on January 25, Chicago Corporation Counsel Mara Georges said that the city "does not intend to enforce" this ordinance at this time.
Also present during the protest were other pro-LGBT organizations and LGBT allies such as PFLAG. After hearing about GLN's protest, PFLAG members came to show their support.
"One of the aspects of PFLAG is that we support our gay and lesbian family members. Whenever there is injustice, there is injustice for all of us. The tone of the Catholic Church is against gays and lesbians," said PFLAG member Damian Moshak.
Spirit & Truth, a Catholic-based organization, showed up to the protest wearing light-blue T-shirts reading "Love is the answer." The group, made up of devout Catholics, wishes to mend relationships with the LGBT community.
"Unlike the messages that are often received, true devout Catholics are about love. We are apologetic that they have had a negative experience with the Catholic Church. The freedom to marry issue is a legislative one, not a religious issue," said Spirit & Truth member Jennifer Nowakowski.
Still, GLN protestors and LGBT allies believe that they are simply fighting for equal rights.
"There's a lot of oppression from religious establishments that should support love; we just want the right to stand up for our rights," said protestor and Rockford College ENGRACE member Brittany Salvador.
As with any protest, there are two sides. Americans for Truth, a group dedicated to exposing what it calls "the homosexual agenda," held up signs thanking George for defending marriage.
"I think its [ GLN's protest ] is especially brazen. There's an uprising of the gay and lesbian community towards people of faith. There's an inherent contradiction between religious rights versus gay rights. GLN is always trying to block out other messages and that is a form of bigotry," said Americans for Truth Founder/President Peter LaBarbera.
Thayer felt the energy of his protestors. He urged the LGBT community and its allies to not be complacent and to constantly push the issue.
"Separate but equal institutions are never really equal," he said.