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 sitewhich included rainbow pylons, the Legacy Walk with plaques and suchit 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 howin a year where marriage equality was passedthe 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.