It would be hard to darken Chicago's Pride Parade ? the always colorful celebration of the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community ? but many expected this year's festivities to carry a whiff of anger.
There was lingering frustration with the state legislature after a same-sex marriage bill did not come up for a vote, and that brought talk of barring politicians from the parade.
But then the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act inspired a surge of joy among the LGBT community, one that parade organizers expect to see reflected when tens of thousands flock to the streets of Lakeview on Sunday.
"I think everyone was buoyed up by the decision," said Richard Pfeiffer, coordinator of the Pride Parade, now in its 44th year. "I've been in a long-term relationship, and it certainly buoyed us up. I was in tears because I realized how it affected my life and how it affected so many other people's lives across the country."
John Knight, an attorney and director of the LGBT and AIDS Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Chicago, agreed that the high court's ruling ? which assured the federal government will recognize same-sex marriages ? brought a much-needed dose of optimism.
"It was incredibly frustrating to be that close and to see that marriage bill fail," Knight said. "But I think the mental uplift of seeing the last federal law that explicitly discriminated against gay people taken off the books gives us a great deal of hope that it's just clearly inevitable marriage is going to be real in Illinois ? and very soon."
Opponents of same-sex marriage disagree about the impact that the Supreme Court's ruling will have on Illinois legislators, saying these lawmakers' votes generally reflect the opinions of people in their districts, not the opinion of the high court. Also, many opponents believe that seeing DOMA struck down will motivate those who believe marriage should be defined only as the union of a man and a woman.
Sunday's parade will feature more than 200 entrants, an array of floats, marchers from various organizations, bands and, of course, politicians.
"The parade is always both social and political," Pfeiffer said. "I think it will be a little more political this year. More marchers and people carrying signs. You'll see a lot of signage from people urging lawmakers to pass the (same-sex marriage) bill, putting pressure on legislators to get the bill going and get Illinois to catch up with the 13 other states that allow same-sex marriage."
While the Supreme Court's decision won't have much direct impact on Illinois couples who have entered into civil unions, Knight said the ruling provides additional fodder for a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and gay rights group Lambda Legal.
The suit claims that not issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the Illinois Constitution.
"With DOMA gone, we now have the additional concrete injury of Illinois couples being denied federal benefits (because they can't marry)," Knight said. "There's also the court's very clear statements about the injury and the stigmatization that comes with providing this sort of second-class status through civil unions."
He added that, on the legislative front, it's key for LGBT advocates to keep pushing for marriage rights, something that will undoubtedly happen Sunday in a celebration more upbeat than most expected.
rhuppke@tribune.com
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-pride-parade-0630-20130630,0,3664062.story?track=rss
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