Is the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?
By Natalie MooreIs the face of marriage equality in Illinois too white?
By Natalie MooreTwo 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:
- Joy Messinger lives in Pilsen and is part of Invisible to Invincible Asian and Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago.
- Jamari White is a student at the University of Chicago.
- Kim Hunt is the executive director of Affinity Community Services, which is a social justice organization that works with and on behalf of Black LGBTQ communities, queer youth, and allies.
- Brenda Lee and S. Lee Edwards are in a civil union and live in South Shore.
- Nebula Li lives in Hyde Park and and is part of Invisible to Invincible Asian and Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago.
- Michael O’Connor grew up in Chatham and has worked for various politicians and political causes in the Chicago area.
- Ann Rowell is an administrative assistant and lives in Avalon Park.
Natalie Moore is WBEZ’s South Side Bureau reporter. Follow her @natalieymoore.