Rainbow Sash Movement (LGBT Roman Catholics) Calls on the Organizers to Cancel Chicago Gay Pride Parade over safety concerns.

CHICAGO, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend the largest and most populated parade will take place in Chicago's Lakeview Community also known as Boystown. The annual pride parade has become a victim of its own success. Last year the crowds swelled to over 800,000 people. Chicago Police were caught off guard in terms of crowd control. The organizers of the parade seemed to be out to lunch when it came to responsible planning, and this includes Alderman Tom Tunney one of two of Chicago's openly Gay Alderman. All in all last year's parade provided for a dangerous situation and sent up a red flag.

Adding to this mix there will be a new parade route and a decrease from 250 to 200 floats and vehicles. What is not being addressed by the organizers is safety areas for seniors and young families, the high level of alcohol and drug abuse that takes place during the parade. Apparently this is not as important as getting people to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel's 12 Noon mass as Alderman Tom Tunney believes, or to open Mt Carmel's Church parking lots as cooling and water stations for seniors and young families as other Church's in the area have done.

In a letter to Cardinal Francis George, Joe Murray Executive Director of the Rainbow Sash Movement (LGBT Roman Catholics) asked both Cardinal George, and Pastor Fr. Thomas Srenn of Our Lady of Mt Carmel to put the needs of people first when it comes to the Pride Parade and provide safe spaces for the very old and very young. The response so far from Cardinal George has been recognition that the letter has been received.

LGBT Pride is a wonderful time for Chicago's LGBT Community; however, it also needs to be a time of responsibility and safety when it comes to organizing, crowd control, and responsible consumption of alcohol during the Pride Parade.

The Rainbow Sash Movement is calling on the organizers of the LGBT Pride Parade to cancel this year's parade until these very serious matters are addressed. We are also calling on corporate sponsors such as Telemundo, Orbitz, Columbia College, Miller Lite, Pepsi Com, KPMG, JPMorgan Chase just to name a few to withdraw their vehicles, and floats from the parade as sign of responsible Corporate Citizenship. We are calling on local politicians to withdraw their support as sign that they recognize the seriousness of this situation when it comes to safety concerns.

Let's be proactive in this matter, and not wait for a violent incident to erupt harming innocents. Clearly the handwriting is on the wall that this parade is growing well beyond the skill set of its organizers. We are asking the organizers to do what we have asked Cardinal Francis George to do, and that is put the safety needs of the people as our first priority.

SOURCE Rainbow Sash Movement

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