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

VIEWS Before we go moving the Pride Parade...
by Greg O'Neill
2014-08-27

This article shared 6078 times since Wed Aug 27, 2014
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


As someone who has lived in Chicago on and off for 22 years this summer, and who owns a business with my partner that just celebrated 10 years here in Lake View East, I am proud to call this city and the Boystown neighborhood my chosen home. Even so, like many, I have also been observing some of the changes going on around us over the last few years with great personal interest and concern.

Since I remain active in the community, I often hear percolating discussions within the LGBT community at large, regarding both business owners and residents, about the issues that we collectively face. Of late, that has centered on discussions about whether to relocate the Chicago Pride Parade.

While I definitely applaud Ald. Tom Tunney for fielding a survey to the community as to whether they believe the parade should be relocated from Lakeview/Uptown to downtown, I think there are a few critical points that are truly important to consider before taking such a step. Know that the Pride Parade is not a huge day for our own business, so it is less about how it affects my particular business than it is about the larger issues at hand. Hopefully, this is the start of a respectful, constructive community discussion.

1 ) Legacy and locus of our community: When Mayor Richard M. Daley worked with the LGBT community to designate the Halsted corridor of "Boystown" as an LGBT heritage site—which included rainbow pylons, the Legacy Walk with plaques and such—it made national news and was featured in The New York Times, if I recall correctly. That was for a reason, as it was groundbreaking and it established a home space for our community, regardless of how gay-friendly and dispersed our community has become across town.

Taking the Pride Parade out of Boystown would be a major step backward, in my opinion, and there would be a tangible detriment to area businesses, from hotels to retail shops to restaurants and entertainment venues. Will it really be safer and easier downtown at such a cost to the legacy community? Or are we pushing water around? This comes at a time when many businesses in Boystown could use the boost more than ever and there are also a number of new business investments that depend on the LGBT dollar.

2 ) Before moving the parade, first amend the planning status quo: The level of frustration in the community about the lack of transparency ( bordering on secrecy ) in planning the Pride Parade, has reached the point where it is palpable. For many, it was hard to understand how—in a year where marriage equality was passed—the people instrumental in making it a reality in Illinois were overlooked to serve as grand marshal. It was just one of many times over the past years when folks had questions about the management of this largest LGBT annual event, and had no one to ask.

While many of us applaud the volunteerism that has gone into the years of putting on this parade by the folks who have done it, the time has long passed for this to be a cabal of a few planning for the many. That said, it should also not be an infomercial for any particular agenda, but it needs to be an inclusive community process.

Having served as an executive with the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce during some years when things went wrong in terms of crowd control, accidents, etc., it was clear that this project is way beyond the scope that was/is manageable for a select few, nor was/is it appropriate for just a few to make decisions for the many without input. I would posit that the model probably needs to change. I would address the people who run this but I do not know them nor do I know how to contact them, and I am troubled that this information isn't readily available.

3 ) Time to start a larger community dialogue: Over the last few years, there has been so much vitriol over broader issues of safety and the future of our community at a time when we have been also been achieving our well-deserved rights and evolving into the next phase of our community's history.

This affects businesses, service/medical/rights/arts organizations and the community that consumes their services. There are plenty of reasons for both optimism and concern, but there is also uncertainty and a dearth of financial and human resources. It is my hope that all the organizations and businesses, chambers of commerce and neighborhoods can check the egos and agendas at the door, and consider a strategic approach to what constitutes the structure and resource allocation necessary for this bright future.

Some of that may mean streamlining and some of it may mean reimagining, dissembling or investing. The problem is determining who leads. Perhaps there are ( too ) many cooks in this "kitchen" and no one person perceived as the leader? In my eyes, our collective future needs to be sorted out. If others agree, they have to vocalize it and offer to step up and be a part of shaping things. It is not enough to cast stones. Volunteerism is hard but it is what has built our community since the beginning.

I don't pretend to come with all the answers and I am not intending to in any way discount the amazing work, commitment and achievement on the part of so many for so long for so many causes. I hear these same thoughts being discussed consistently across the city and by people of many different ages, races, socioeconomic means, etc., but it doesn't seem to find its way into an elevated discourse.

Being the kind of person who communicates what is on my mind, I decided to put myself out there on this with an eye toward solutions. I am happy to be a part of the dialogue, but these are issues that are not solved by individuals but rather by collaborative community teams. Thanks for your consideration and I hope these thoughts provoke some constructive conversations and actions on the part of Chicago's LGBT community, regardless of where we live. I also hope that first and foremost we are thoughtful and deliberate before relocating a cornerstone event that is designed to celebrate what unites us.


This article shared 6078 times since Wed Aug 27, 2014
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Pride 365 event emphasizes year-round support for LGBTQ+ employees 2024-03-07
- Queer employees are queer all year-round. The need for employers to accordingly support and uplift them year-round was the core message at Howard Brown Health and Citywide Pride's Pride 365 "Out of Office to Out in ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted to host trans youth & family summit 2024-02-19
- Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has announced that its Trans Youth & Family Summit 2024 will take place March 16. This year marks the sixth annual event, which partners between Youth Services' Pride Youth ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


Gay News

Chicago Fire FC announces 2024 theme nights; Pride Night will be June 1 2024-01-19
--From a press release - CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2024) — Chicago Fire FC announced the club's theme nights for select home matches during the 2024 regular season, driven by Carvana. The Club's 2024 calendar features 11 theme nights, including the return ...


Gay News

WORLD Austria proposal, conferences, Pride marches, tennis player, Gay Games 2023-11-03
- In Austria, a historic proposal by the country's Ministry of Justice sees 33 million euros (approximately $35 million U.S.) set aside to compensate those who were persecuted or convicted of consensual same-sex acts—although critics say th ...


Gay News

NHL reverses decision to ban Pride Tape, allowing players to show support for LGBTQ+s 2023-10-24
--From a press release - (New York, NY - October 24, 2023) Today the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its decision to ban Pride Tape and other displays of support for LGBTQ people on the ice, stating: "After consultation with the ...


Gay News

THEATER Company of 'Wolves': Redtwist's Dusty Brown on gay Riding Hood retelling, Grindr, gender identity 2023-10-16
- It's all about Pride in 2023-24 at Redtwist Theatre. The 19th season for this North Side black-box theater includes three very different productions, starting with Wolves, called a "gory, gay reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood.'" ...


Gay News

NHL bans Pride Tape from hockey games and practices 2023-10-11
- The National Hockey League (NHL) has designated that athletes will no longer be able to show support to the LGBTQ+ community while playing, according to Out, which cited Outsports. The league has issued a ban of ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH George Harris reflects on his late husband and Dallas activism 2023-10-10
- Special to Windy City Times. To mark Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of Dallas Voice and the LGBT History Project. When George Harris and Jack Evans became the first couple to legally marry in ...


Gay News

Illinois colleges make list of most unsafe places for LGBTQ+ youth 2023-10-05
- Campus Pride has released its list of the worst places for LGBTQ+ youth—and several Illinois colleges and universities are on it. According to a press release, "the Worst List identifies the 'absolute worst, most unsafe campuses ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH Putting an end to the myths of Stonewall 2023-10-02
- Special to Windy City Times. In recognition of Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of the LGBT History Project and Philadelphia Gay News. For years, people have debated what actually happened that night in June ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art 2023-09-08
Video below - Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...


Gay News

Brave Space Alliance holds Post Pride Mixer 2023-08-30
- On Aug. 27, Brave Space Alliance held its Post Pride Mixer at popular lesbian-owned bar Nobody's Darling. The social gathering celebrated past accomplishments while looking forward to new horizons for both the service organization and the ...


Gay News

UIC among nation's top 30 campuses for LGBTQ+ students 2023-08-25
--From a press release - The University of Illinois Chicago has been named one of the top 30 colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students, according to Campus Pride, a national organization serving LGBTQ+ and ally student leaders and campus organizations in ...


 


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.