June 24 marked the 38th anniversary of Chicago’s LGBT Pride parade. This year’s parade was themed “United for
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The Chicago chapter of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) marched this year in a contingent that included the Gay Liberation Network, the Committee on Pilipino Issues, the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism and many other organizations. Activists in the contingent carried placards linking the war in Iraq to the struggle for equality at home.
A banner demanding “Full rights for LGBT people, immigrants, women and all: Stop the war on Iraq!” was enthusiastically greeted by the crowd lining the parade route. Tens of thousands of people joined in chants like, “Civil rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia has got to go!”
ANSWER and others confronted and drowned out the anti-gay bigots standing one street corner lining the parade route. Activists encircled the small group of bigots and confronted them by chanting militantly.
Members and friends of the Party for Socialism and Liberation handed out 3,000 leaflets for a June 30 forum entitled “Inequality, war and racism: How can we unite to stop them?”
ANSWER Chicago also participated in Chicago’s Dyke March on June 23. More than 500 people marched through the streets of the Andersonville neighborhood to demand equality and an end to repression.
