Honoring Harvey Milk, LGBT Activists Launch Week of Action

By Joseph Erbentraut in News on May 17, 2010 4:30PM

Answering the call from Cleve Jones and other organizers of last autumn's national LGBT march on Washington, Chicago activists have put together a busy week of action slated to honor gay political leader Harvey Milk and continue the push for legal progress. Activists worldwide will also be hitting the streets this week, putting adversaries on warning: The community is growing tired of waiting on issues including Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a number of other pieces of legislation. A number of sit-in protests and other acts of civil disobedience, drawing on recent activism by Lt. Dan Choi and others, are expected to take place.

Below is a run-down of some of the events scheduled for Harvey Milk Week of Action in Chicago. Click here for the full schedule of the week's activism.

• Tonight, 5:30 p.m., as part of International Day Against Homophobia: Protest anti-gay hate and violence in Uganda, Kenya and Malawi, where a gay couple could face a jail sentence of up to 14 years for their union. Millennium Park, corner of Monroe & Michigan
• Tonight, 7-9 p.m.: View Fish out of Water, a documentary from Chicago-based filmmakers delving into the tensions between homosexuality and the Bible. The screening is followed by a discussion with director Ky Dickens. All Saints' Episcopal Church, 4550 N. Hermitage
• Wednesday, May 19, 7-9 p.m. Get involved on the grassroots level and have your voice be heard at a community organizing meeting presented by LGBT Change. Munroe Hall, 2312 N. Clifton
• Thursday, May 20, noon. It's flashmob time, show up and engage in a little bit of political street theater. Organizers say it'll "be obvious" what to do; no special skills required. Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn
• Friday, May 21, 8-10 p.m. Feeling artsy? Local comedienne Cameron Esposito hosts "Queer Noise," a gay-geared poetry/music/spoken word open mic hosted by Join the Impact Chicago. New Wave Coffee, 2557 N. Milwaukee
• Saturday, May 22, 1 p.m. The culmination of the week of activism, Harvey Milk Day would have been the activist's 80th birthday. Chicago is marking the day with a rally and march down Michigan Ave. "demanding immediate progress towards full equality ... for all LGBTQ people." If the turnout is anything like that of Chicago's protest against Prop 8 in fall 2008, this should be a rowdy rally. The park at Congress and Michigan