Out of 240 entries, the Chicago Teachers Union's (CTU) inaugural float will premiere near the very start of the Pride Parade at number 16.
Hailing under the banner "Teaching Pride Around the World," the CTU's GLBT Rights Committee invites all supporters to march with them in this historic event. Participants in the CTU float and marching contingent will receive a free CTU rainbow T-shirt to commemorate their participation.
Dennis Bales, GLBT Rights Committee Chair, said, "We are thrilled that not only will the CTU have a float after too long of an absence, but that teachers in Chicago can march proudly as we finally come out from the horrible past where we were forced to hide, ultimately harming ourselves and our students."
For more information about CTU, contact Bales at dennisbales@hotmail.com or Erik Kutz at 312-329-6291 or erikkutz@ctulocal1.com .
Also, because of a grant from the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ), Temple Sholom of Chicago, 3480 N. Lake Shore, will have the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the Pride Parade with itsvery own float.
The URJ grant is one of only 20 given to congregations across the country to be used for the development of community outreach. According to a press release, its staffincluding senior Rabbi Aaron M. Petuchowski, Rabbi Shoshanah Conover, Rabbi David Sandmel and Cantor Aviva Katzman"proudly officiate and endorse same-sex Jewish weddings."