Organizers reported than more than 5,000 people gathered under rainy skies at the State Capitol in Springfield Oct. 22. Media reports noted several thousand, and Springfield police estimated at least 3,000 people were there. People were inside (lobbying) and outside all day (for the concert, rally), and the event ended with a blocks-long march around the Capitol complex. The crowd chanted slogans such as "Pass the Damn Vote" and "Harris, Madigan, Don't make us sad again". Below the full 3+ hour video is provided. The Stream was produced by BlueRoom Video, Windy City Times, and MarchOnSpringfield.com .
Addressing the crowd at the Oct. 22 March on Springfield for Marriage Equality were: Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin, plus other political speakers throughout including Springfield Alderpersons Cory Jobe and Doris Turner; Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon; Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka; Sec. of State Jesse White; Attorney General Lisa Madigan; Rep. Greg Harris; Sen. Barbara Flynn Currie.
Buff Carmichael; Judy Yaeger; Jonna Cooley; Brigid F. Leahy; Bonnie Grabenhofer; Brother Michael C. Oboza; Cinda Klickna; Michael Carrigan; Rudy Lozano; Kim Hunt; Kevin Boyer; Vernita Gray; Robert Castillo; Naomi Lahiri; Elizabeth Anh Thomson; Alexis Martinez; Rick Garcia; Anthony Martinez; Scott Cross; Marquell Smith; Andy Thayer.
Jim Bennett, Ed Yohnka and families/litigants from Lambda Legal and ACLU; Caroline Kaplan of Latin School of Chicago; Art Johnston; William E. McNary; John Kohlhepp; LZ Granderson; Tracy Baim; Brent Holman-Gomez and religious leaders.
Rev. Rachelle Brown; Rev. Martin Woulfe; Pastor Jamie Frazier; Marc Loveless; Bishop Carlton Pearson.
Youth from Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy: Frank Sandoval and Daniel Ponciano.
MCs were C.C. Carter and Honey West.
Entertainers:
Artemis Singers; Amasong: Champaign-Urbana's Premiere Lesbian Feminist Chorus; Sandra Antongiorgi; Chicago Gay Men's Chorus; De'Borah; Steve Grand; Sami Grisafe; KOKUMO!; Stephen Leonard; SONiA of disappear fear; Marcus Terell; Windy City Gay Chorus; and in the March itself: Lakeside Pride Freedom Marching Band, and the Jammin for Justice EarthBeat Drummers.
Photos by Rick Aguilar, Hal Baim, Tim Carroll, Vern Hester, Ralph Childs and Gary Chichester,
Also see related stories beginning with www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Thousands-march-for-marriage-equality-in-Illinois/44865.html .
Video names:
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality, 10-22-2013, Part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSvzn7O4W2Q
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 2: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 3: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 4: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 5: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 6: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 7 www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpO9Q5iFljs
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 8: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 9: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 10 www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uU906y5HDM
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 11: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equalty, 10-22-2013, Part 12 www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKCd797oZJ0
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality, 10-22-2013, Part 13: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality, 10-22-2013, Part 14: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality, 10-22-2013, Part 15: www.youtube.com/watch .
March on Springfield for Marriage Equality, 10-22-2013, Part 16 www.youtube.com/watch .