Chicago, January 31, 2011 A diverse coalition educating candidates for Chicago Mayor on issues of concern to the LGBT community released this week the results of a questionnaire sent to candidates. The results prove that Chicago's LGBT community will have an important voice in the race for the Mayor. Five of the candidates for Mayor responded to the questionnaire.
Members of the community have come together to express their concerns and hopes, and to evaluate the positions of the candidates. The coalition, comprised of sixty individuals representing a variety of organizations, includes Alderman Tom Tunney, State Representatives Greg Harris and Deborah Mell, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Debra Shore, Affinity Community Services, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Amigas Latinas, The Association of Latin Men for Action (ALMA), Center on Halsted, Equality Illinois, Howard Brown Health Center, Lambda Legal, and LGBT Change.
"It was important that we identify the most critical issues for the LGBT community and solicit the positions of the mayoral candidates," said Alderman Tunney. "I am extremely proud of what we've accomplished and gratified by the response from the candidates."
The coalition held a series of forums across Chicago to assess the LGBT community's top priorities for their next mayor. The coalition produced educational materials for the candidates and asked for each to share their positions on the issues. Candidates Rahm Emanuel, Gery Chico, Carol Moseley Braun, Miguel del Valle and Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins participated in the process.
"Our primary goal was to ensure that we educated and engaged each of the individuals who want to serve all of Chicago as our next mayor," said Tunney. "We are pleased that the four highest polling candidates all favor basic human rights, marriage rights, bullying protections and greater education for police on transgender issues."
The candidate questionnaires and additional information on the process is available at: eqil.org/nextmayor.html .