Gay Wedding Bells May Sound During Pride Fest

Chicago Pride Fest organizers say if gay marriage is approved in Illinois, this year’s first ever Pride Week might be a celebration for marriage equality, maybe even with wedding ceremonies.

Area aldermen recently approved the festival’s move to the weekend before the annual pride parade, effectively creating Pride Week. But with June 22-23 fast approaching, the question is, what exactly will the new week of festivities entail?

Jen Gordon, a spokesperson for the Northalsted Business Alliance, says official plans will become clear over the next few weeks. The fact that gay marriage could be approved beforehand, however, might influence the week of events.

“We just talked about if gay marriage is something we can celebrate this year, that would be a phenomenal thing to do, and we would have events that reflect and relate to that change,” Gordon said. “We’re all trying to come up with ideas that maybe celebrate equality in that way, whether it be marriage ceremonies or (something similar).”

Additional ideas have been tossed around, too, like potentially showcasing Chicago to tourists. For example, one day an event could be at Navy Pier, and the next day organizers could host an event at Hollywood Beach or Grant Park.

Although Wilson Phillips, and now Lynda Carter, are set to perform at this year’s Market Days event, few details have been released about Pride Fest outside of singer Aubrey O'Day's scheduled perofrmance. Gordon says now that the new date has been nailed down, it’s time to also nail down the plans.

And Illinois’ Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act is not expected to face a vote in the House until April 8, ChicagoPride.com writes. If passed, would make Illinois the 10th state in the union allowing its gay and lesbian citizens to marry.

Similarly, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering two cases that would challenge Prop 8 and the Defense Against Marriage Act.

Gordon says the alliance will wait to see what transpires before making any plans for wedding-themed events.

“It’s a moving target, but as we follow closely what happens, things (pertaining to marriage) might be appropriate for that week,” she said. “It would be a huge cause for celebration.”

The pride parade, which is not organized by the alliance, is confirmed to be the same route as last year. Last year’s Pride Parade saw upwards of 850,000 people following the route.

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