Talking the talk
Dear Editor:
There's a Jewish, Muslim and Christian LGBT divide. Is dialogue possible?
This has certainly been a positive month for LGBT visibility, locally and nationally.
Celebrating the diversity of our community, Equality Illinoiswho contributed to the LGBT-rights movementrecently celebrated the diversity of the many who supported our movements accomplishments both inside and outside of our movement.
Then there was the positive messaging of the Super Bowl supporting gay marriage. Loudly proclaimed as part of the halftime entertainment, "Believe In Love" was displayed prominently at one of the most popular sports events in the United States.
This came on the coattails of the National LGBTQ Task Force's Creating Change conference held in Chicago last month. The conferencewhile controversial, concerning the treatment of both our Jewish and Muslim sisters and brothersshowed that racism and religious intolerance were alive in our community.
Perhaps Equality Illinois and the Super Bowl can lead us by example in seeking a positive change in calling for dialogue between the Muslim, Jewish and Christian Chicago LGBT ccommunities. The U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops is also calling for such dialogue, and Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich will be one of its co-chairs.
As a Christian who is Catholic, I wonder if this can be a teaching moment for us. Can we move beyond pointing fingers to understanding that we are all children of the same God?
I realize my call for dialogue maybe difficult, but not impossible.
Joe Murray
Executive Director
Rainbow Sash Movement
Out in the open
Dear Editor,
For nearly five decades our great city has celebrated its Pride through multiple celebrations, most especially the Chicago Pride Parade, which is reportedly the largest such event in the nation.
For all these years, the Pride Parade has been organized by a dedicated group of volunteers under the leadership of a very fine gentleman. When he and his friends started the parade all those years ago, walking the streets displaying your pride was dangerouseven life-threatening. Today it is the city's largest celebration. For that, the LGBT community owes them a huge debt of gratitude.
Since the Pride Parade is now the city's largest annual event, it is time to consider bringing the management of the event out from the private living rooms of its volunteers and into a public not-for-profit. We should create an open and transparent venue for the entire community to be involved in not just the Pride Parade, which takes place on one day, but to organize Pride Month, with multiple celebrations and activities.
This new group could be managed by a diverse board of directors that represents the entire LGBT community, our allies, and the businesses and residents that graciously host our public events in their neighborhoods. The group would be able to solicit corporate sponsorships, and organize events throughout the entire City of Chicago, and perhaps also the suburbs, or even downstate communities.
Once this group is formed and organizes its first Pride celebration, it should announce its first grand marshal as Mr. Richard Pfeiffer, to whom we owe so many thanks for his years of service.
Thank you, Richard.
Sincerely,
Clint W. Sabin
Chicago