Chicago Won’t Block GLN Sunday Demo

Chicago Won’t Block GLN Sunday Demo

Written by Gary Barlow
Gay Chicago Magazine

CHICAGO – The city won’t use an ordinance aimed at preventing protests outside houses of worship to stop a Gay Liberation Network demonstration planned for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 13 in front of Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral.

The protest is aimed at Cardinal Francis George and other Catholic leaders who’ve worked to defeat LGBT rights legislation in Springfield.

Adam Schwartz, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union-Illinois, had written city officials on behalf of GLN Jan. 21, asking whether the city planned to enforce its ordinance “prohibiting demonstrations in the public way within 150 feet and one half hour of a religious service in a place of worship.”

Schwartz said the group was concerned because of published reports that the city had recently used the ordinance to stop a demonstration outside a Church ofScientology facility. He went on to allege that the ordinance is unconstitutional.

GLN co-founder Andy Thayer said a protest at Holy Name Cathedral Feb. 13 is targeting Catholic leaders’ opposition to LGBT equality.

Continuing reading at –http://www.gaychicagomagazine.com/news/chicago.shtml

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The February 13th protest will focus on three demands:

*** Oppose the anti-LGBT bigotry of the Catholic hierarchy; support the many pro-equal rights Catholics organizing for change within the denomination

*** Demand full equal marriage rights in Illinois

*** Demand that tax dollars no longer go to tax-exempt religious groups that refuse to commit to equal rights for LGBT people.

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