Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Red Line situation, United we stand
2017-03-08

This article shared 548 times since Wed Mar 8, 2017
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


Red Line situation

Some decision-makers in Chicago have instituted a policy whereby, after midnight EACH NIGHT, homeless persons are gathered like cattle when they come off the train at the end of the Red Line ( Howard or 95th ). They are marched like criminals to the gates and told they must either leave or "tap again" to re-enter to board the train area and ride back in the other direction.

This happened recently, and it is a more chaotic and expanded version of what was done in the past about once a week maybe one time in the evening. Now, it is all night long, at both ends of the Red Line. This is just one example of how the game works.

The players include CTA drivers, janitors and security workers; K-9 black-shirted personnel complete with German shepherds; and, in some cases, officers from the Chicago Police Department.

There is a great deal of yelling, confusion, screaming and noise. Many of the homeless do not have enough money to ride back in the other direction. Hence, South Siders wind up "marooned"at Howard Street in a neighborhood they do not know; North Siders wind up "abandoned" outside the gates of the CTA at 95th Street.

The players act as though this suddenly instituted policy has always been in place, and they refer to the having to pay again as a "transfer fee." It is assumed that most of the extra dollars coming from this policy are going directly to pay for the additional CTA staff members, for the K-9 security members, and I would guess also for dog food. On some nights recently, CPD officers are there also, in case things boil over.

To whom do Cook County taxpayers complain about this chauvinistic use of force against some of the most destitute poor in the city? These people who have no place to be and no place to sleep are being shuffled around and chased around.

Images of Nazi Germany abound at 3 a.m., with dogs barking, guards screaming, and citizens crying and shouting as they are milked for their very last pennies.

Are these images those of a Chicago under martial law we should all become accustomed to seeing? Is this how the city is going to look?

Thomas Hansen

Cicero

* * * * *

United we stand

To all:

The Association of Latina/os Motivating Action ( ALMA ) joins the thousands of voices protesting President Trump's executive orders—particularly those that ban the entry of refugees ( including legal permanent residents ) into our country; rush orders to build a wall along the Mexican border; and threaten to prevent federal funding for sanctuary cities and counties like Chicago and Cook County.

Not only is this an attack on immigrant, refugee, and Muslim communities; these impulsive and carelessly implemented orders also put many LGBTQ individuals into increasingly dangerous situations as they are attempting to flee life-threatening situations in other countries and seek safety in the United States. This is a disturbingly dark moment in our country's history.

During his inauguration, Trump promised to be a leader for all Americans, yet these executive orders break the spirit of that commitment. Instead of building walls and further breaking families apart, Trump should focus on building bridges between communities across this country.

So many have worked so hard to create safe communities for LGBTQ people, immigrants and refugees in Chicago, Cook County and all across Illinois. We have seen much progress, but have always kept in mind the work still to come. The political climate during the presidential campaign, after the election and, especially, during the past couple of weeks has made our work more challenging, yet even more important. Now more than ever, we must reignite our commitment to social justice.

ALMA stands in solidarity with all of the individuals and communities affected by the Trump administration's agenda. We stand shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight against these acts of injustice. We will continue to organize, speak out, and take action.

We encourage all of you to contact your legislators and share your frustrations. Continue to engage in dialogue with families, friends and neighbors. Our commitment for a better world begins in our very own communities. We will not stand idly and allow the president break us apart.

In solidarity and action,

ALMA


This article shared 548 times since Wed Mar 8, 2017
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event 2024-03-25
- Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama 2024-03-22
- Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house 2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats 2024-03-21
- Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19 2024-03-20
- Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down 2024-03-20
- In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.