Why Watch the Parade When You Can BE IN IT?!
Can We Get Your HelpThis Sunday?
GLN permalink 6-28-2013
As the group that organized Wednesday night's Supreme Court response rally and march, we in the Gay Liberation Network are asking not for your money -- though we won't turn that down ;) -- but for your personal help.
We need your help to spread the message that ALL pro-equality Illinoisans must get involved if we are to win equal marriage rights in our state!
And what better way to send that message than by delivering it in person to the more than 750,000+ people who will be watching this Sunday's Pride Parade?
While we've partnered with other groups and individuals at several of these protests against the IFI, GLN was the only organization out there every weekend that the IFI was rallying to drown our rights.
If you've never participated in the parade, it's a BLAST! Hundreds of thousands of people cheering your pro-LGBTQ message, a VERY unique vantage point to view the parade, plus you are helping do the invaluable work of informing others about the big rally for equal marriage rights in Springfield on October 22, and many smaller events in between. So one part of the GLN contingent will be focused on mobilizing our fellow Illinoisans to push our legislators, especially House Speaker Mike Madigan, to pass Illinois's SB10, our marriage equality bill, in the fall veto session that starts on Tuesday, October 22nd.
The other part of our contingent will focus on promoting justice for LGBTQ whistle-blower Bradley Manning, who is currently on trial for courageously releasing video evidence of U.S. forces in Iraq engaged in war crimes -- the brutal murder of civilians, including two Reuters journalists. When Manning attempted to get his superiors to act on the information he had uncovered, he was rebuffed. So he did what a decent human being should do, indeed what all soldiers under the post World War II "Nuremberg Principles" are legally obligated to do, he exposed the murders.
Instead of prosecuting (let alone convicting) those who committed the murders, the Obama administration chose to prosecute Manning. Indeed, President Obama has prosecuted more whistle-blowers than all previous Presidents in history, combined. As such, Manning's case is emblematic of the dangerous erosion of civil liberties we have seen since 911 and he deserves our support.
Whichever issue you feel most passionately about -- marriage rights here in Illinois, or defending civil liberties fighters like Bradley Manning -- we need your help on Sunday to send these messages to others at Pride and get them participating in shaping our future in a positive direction!
We ask volunteers to meet us at 11 AM sharp on Sunday at the corner of Broadway and Sunnyside (4500 N. Broadway), right in front of the new Target store. The easiest way to get there is to take the Red Line el to the "Wilson" stop. After exiting the station, walk south one long block on Broadway (if you don't know what direction that is, just follow the crowds who will largely be going in that same direction). After gathering at Broadway & Sunnyside, we will be walking to our contingent's line-up point, which will be on Montrose Avenue just east of Clark Street (by Graceland Cemetery).
Want to help out even more? Join our early-morning set up crew which will be assembling our banners and other displays beginning at 8 AM (yes, ouch!) on Montrose just east of Clark. If you are able to help out with that, please call Andy at 773.209.1187
If you get lost or have difficulty finding us, our day-of cell phone contact number will be 773.209.1187. If you would like more info in advance of Sunday, please email our volunteer coordinator, Roger Fraser, at rfraser4584@gmail.com
