Is the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?

Is the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?
A diverse group of Chicago South Siders to shared their thoughts on the intersection of race and same-sex marriage. WBEZ/Natalie Moore
Is the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?
A diverse group of Chicago South Siders to shared their thoughts on the intersection of race and same-sex marriage. WBEZ/Natalie Moore

Is the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?

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Two months after the Illinois Senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, it has yet to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives (the House won’t be back in session until April 30th). As pressure grows on reluctant lawmakers – including several members of the Black Caucus – many queer people of color say their voices aren’t being heard.

WBEZ’s Natalie Moore sat down with a diverse group of South Siders to hear their thoughts on a lack of diversity in the push for same-sex marriage. Many of them worry that the face of marriage equality in Illinois is simply too white.

In many ways, this is an extension of a WBEZ conversation last summer in the Race: Out Loud series in which black lesbians and gay white men discussed being ‘out’ in segregated Chicago.

Here are the participants in this latest conversation:

Natalie Moore is WBEZ’s South Side Bureau reporter. Follow her @natalieymoore.