Chicago's Pride Parade Looks to Boot Politicians

Campaigners angered by failure to pass same-sex marriage bill
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 4, 2013 4:17 AM CDT
Petition: Ban Politicians From Chicago Pride Parade
Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network, displays a gay pride banner in a show of support of Illinois' gay marriage legislation outside the office of Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.   (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Campaigners enraged by Illinois lawmakers' failure to make the state the 13th to legalize gay marriage want the politicians banned from this year's Pride Parade in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports. A same-sex marriage bill passed the state Senate in February, but the House's spring session adjourned without bringing the issue to a vote after the bill's sponsor said he didn't have enough votes.

"People were asking, why are politicians in our Pride Parade when we don't have anything to celebrate this year?" says the creator of a petition that would give lawmakers the boot from the event. He says that while parade organizers probably won't agree to yank the politicians' reserved spots in the parade, a good compromise would be to have them march at the back of the parade instead of their usual spots in the front. (More Chicago stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X