The Coalition for Justice and Respect organized a “Unity March Against Racism and Harassment” in the Boystown area. This was the latest such event in Chicago to address the tensions that have pitted youth of color against police officers, condo dwellers, and business owners.
Category: Prison industrial complex
Chicago recently became a finalist in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. An umbrella group of local activist organizations and Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is using this media attention to highlight Chicago police brutality. At a June 19 press conference outside Mayor Daley”s office and an evening community forum at the Broadway United Methodist Church in Boystown, the group argued that Chicago did not have a right to host the Olympics given its record on police brutality, especially towards members of the LGBTQ community. Sponsors of the events included queer groups Amigas Latinas, Equality Illinois, and Gay Liberation Network.
A report from the Deaf Queer Resource Center ( www.deafqueer.org ) indicated that a murder in Waverly, Ohio, was being ignored, unlike the killing of Matthew Shepard, because the gay victim was a hearing-impaired, homeless man. The details of the murder were horrific: Daniel ‘Dano’ Fetty, 39 years old, had been living in his car after a fire, working at a local restaurant, and saving up for his next apartment.