Protesting the protesters
Dear Editor:
My partner, Craig, and I were walking toward the El stop after the Chicago Pride Parade, which we marched in with Campit Resort, and passed by the small but very vocal group of protesting extremist radical literalist "Christians" who had critical signs.
One guy on a loudspeaker was chanting "sick, sick, sick, sick" and then called someone a "chicken hawk" and had some other disgusting words. At the time we were so tired for walking the parade I didn't realize he was directing his words toward us and called Craig a chicken hawk. Craig explained this to me later when I mentioned it to him. I wish I had my wits about me at the time as I would have had some choice words for this hypocrite.
I can quote the Bible as well as any of his ilk. I am sick of these people and have a hard time feeling any charity or goodwill toward them. Otherwise, it was a wonderful day full of amazing colorful good fun people. It's too bad there are people who preach hate, intolerance and shame. They will be judged in the same manner that they judged us without even knowing us or the many other people (children of God) that they condemned and heaped words of scorn and condemnation upon at the Gay Pride Parade.
Last year, the same group's leader shouted at us long list of vile names, ("filthy abomination" being one on them) and wished that we would get every venereal disease there was and then get AIDS and burn in hell—all over a bullhorn. How would they react if we showed up at one of their church events with hateful signs and bullhorns calling them horrid names? They would call the police to have us removed. They would claim they are being victimized and persecuted and that their religious freedom was being trampled upon.
Pride Sunday in Chicago is a day for everyone to be proud of who s/he is and celebrate the wonderful diversity of our city and country. Gay or straight, Black, White, Asian, Latino, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu and others—we are all beautiful people in our own way and have something to offer the larger community. All of us should reflect on this: We may be the medicine the world and our community needs.
Dano Pierce
Chicago
Who's line-up is it, anyway?
Dear Editor:
What is happening with the Chicago LGBT Pride Parade?
The parade took place this year with a new route and, as opposed to the previous year, it seemed to flow more smoothly.
Each year the Pride Parade comes and goes with little notice on how the parade takes place, how decisions are made and what type of accountability is there for funds raised in support of the event. Are there salaries involved, are any audits done of Pride finances in the name of Chicago's LGBT Community or are there any funds available for community charities? I don't believe these are unreasonable questions, or that by asking for accountability I am attacking anyone personally.
Who is really in charge, how does one get involved with the parade committee and are there any publicized scheduled open meetings? This year we were presented a new partisan political leadership with the addition of Ald. Tom Tunney of the 44th Ward and Ald. James Cappleman of the 46th Ward. How did these two alderman become part of the leadership team, with Richard Pfeiffer, of a major LGBT community organization that is supposed to represent the broad diversity of our community?
The parade line-up is a concern for many event participants; many question the privileged locations for politicians at the front. Perhaps a more equitable solution is to hold a public lottery to assign locations.
The whole issue with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel could have been handled better, from Pfeiffer not responding to a letter he got from the pastor of Mt. Carmel to the private meeting Tunney held with the church's pastor.
I also don't think it unreasonable to believe that the LGBT community's concern with public intoxication should have been ignored in a private meeting with Tunney and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel's pastor.
I have reached out to Pfeiffer, Tunney and Cappleman; Cappleman contacted me. I asked about accountability to the LGBT community in the form of a public follow-up meeting where a report can be given to the community; there would also be a Q&A, understanding time limitations.
My concern is about transparency and accountability to the LGBT community, not personalities. Partisan politics is a part of this community and should have a place in the parade, but it should not dominate other components of the LGBT community.
Joe Murray
Rainbow Sash Movement
