Rally in Chicago for Gay Rights
By Tony Peregrin in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 30, 2009 7:40PM
Come out, come out, wherever you are: Chicagoans unable to make the trek to the national’s capital for the National Equality March can show their solidarity by participating in a rally at Daley Plaza the same day, October 11th— which also happens to be National Coming Out Day. Equality Across America—a national grassroots organization working for federal protections and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people— is organizing the march in Washington, DC. Solidarity marches and rallies are planned for Chicago, Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Canada, and other cities across the country. Organizers of the National Equality March have announced plans to launch a text message campaign (which will also be uploaded to Twitter) allowing marchers—wherever they are located—to communicate live throughout the weekend.
LGBT Change, a local grassroots initiative founded late last year, is organizing the Chicago rally, which starts at 1p.m., Oct 11, under the Picasso statue.
“Now is the time to send a clear message to our elected officials that we will no longer be complacent,” says Anthony Martinez, 29, co-founder of LGBT Change. “We are demanding full federal protection, under the Fourteenth Amendment, in all 50 states for the LGBT community. This is a new era of engagement. Although we have seen wins like marriage equality in the northeast, we also have seen state after state strip away our rights. We must fight back and engage our leaders to fight on our behalf.”
The idea for the local solidarity rally came to Martinez after hearing Cleve Jones, a prominent gay rights activist portrayed by Emil Hirsch in the movie “Milk,” speak in Chicago earlier this year about the importance of community and solidarity rallies.
“It is true that it is difficult to measure the impact when you march in D.C., or even if you rally in support in Chicago,” says Tracy Baim, publisher and executive editor, Windy City Times and Windy City Media Group. “But people who are energized by marches use that energy back home in ways that do help our community. I especially saw that in 1987, when Chicagoans returned with a new sense of purpose, skills, and unity,” says Baim who has attended three of the four national marches on Washington. “There is no one way we will achieve our goals. In fact, we don't even all agree on our goals. But marches do have an important place in our movement. They are not for everyone, but they indirectly can help us all."
The rally is open to all ages, and all members of the LGBT community, as well as to friends and supporters of the LGBT community.