Equality Illinois and other LGBT organizations announced Aug. 4 that during Market Days they would be continuing their effort to call attention to what they call GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner's anti-gay activities and social conservative agenda.
Among the efforts planned for the two-day festival, which takes place on Halsted Street Aug. 9-10, are flyers, voter registration booths and a new social media campaign, according to a statement.
Equality organizations and activists say that Rauner, who has claimed not to be running on a socially conservative agenda, has contributed to anti-gay candidates, as his wife, Diana. The Market Days flyers, made up to look like voided marriage certificates, point to $95,400 in contributions the Rauners gave to anti-LGBT candidates. Among those candidates the organizations named are John D. Anthony, Sheri Jesiel, Liz Doody Gorman, Jim Durkin, Christine Radogno, Joe Sosnowski, Mark Batinick, Keith Wheeler, Heidi Holan, Neil Anderson and Margo McDermed.
Street teams will also be calling attention to Rauner's running mate Evelyn Sanguenitti and his association with the DeVos family, who have been major funders of anti-marriage equality activities and donated $13,000 to his campaign, the statement said.
Marquell Smith, president of the Inclusive Community Project, said, "Bruce Rauner has made it clear time and time again that he will not stand up for LGBT Illinoisans and, worse, would reverse the progress we've made. You don't have to look very hard to see that Rauner and his inner circle are right-wing extremists who seek to deny LGBT families our state's most basic protections."
"These examples show a larger pattern showing how Bruce Rauner has embraced the right wing of his party and consistently chosen the side of bigotry and intolerance," added Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. "The company Bruce Rauner keeps helps assure the right wing of his party that he is with themthat he is the anti-LGBT candidate."
The social media campaign will urge supporters to spread the word online, using the hashtag #RightWingRauner.
The Market Days drive is the latest in several actions that the equality organizations have focused on Rauner, who in November said he would have vetoed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act since he thought the matter should have been decided upon by a public referendum. In June, the organizations posted a large banner in Boystown calling attention to that statement during Pride weekend, and took part in a sizeable demonstration outside a downtown fundraiser for Rauner.