To the Editor:
The mayoral and aldermanic elections are over. Regardless of the outcome, we must now address the task of building our community. The divisions based on race, gender, gender identity, income and age are so deep that we have forgotten our great awakening ( Stonewall ).
Part of that community is dying on Halstedour cultural/political/spiritual life has forgotten Stonewall. What can we do, if anything? There is always hope when linked to action.
Many of our young people find themselves living on the street, forced into lives of prostitution to make a living in the shadow of the Center on Halsted. What are we, as a community, doing to address this? Housing is fine, but that is only a bandage to cover the ugliness of their daily reality; jobs would be better.
In my conversations with some young people, they feel hurt, broken, lost and forgotten by those who claim to be their mentors and protectors. They have no input into their own destiny. They see themselves as throwaway people.
The elites in our community have forgotten that Stonewall was and is our hope to bring about change. Rather, they seem to put their energies into black-tie event and elite cocktail parties.
So now the bars on Halsted are dying, more jobs will be lost.
These politicians now want to move the Pride Parade without any serious input from the diversity that is the LGBT community.
Certain people, in conjunction with the city, are planning a exclusionary meeting for the purpose of moving the LGBT Pride Parade to take place in the near future. They definitely have a dog in this fight.
It's far past the time that representatives from organizations and events such as Dyke March, Gay Liberation Network and others that have been excluded from such discussions be includedand, yes, bar owners because of the effect it will have on their businesses.
In this local post-election season I have one question: When will our gay aldermen develop a plan for the Chicago's LGBT community that focuses on our huge unemployment rate?
Joe Murray
Chicago