With SCOTUS striking down DOMA yesterday, it’s one of the best times ever for Gay Pride in America. And coincidentally the Gay Pride Parade is coming up this weekend. I actually hate parades, and big crowds for that matter, but I’ve attended the Gay Pride parade at least 4 or 5 times in my life. the Chicago Fire soccer club will be a huge part of the parade this year.
For all those bigots complaining about gay becoming so mainstream today…uhm are you aware that boy bands ruled the ’90s from a pop culture perspective? That is a genre of music dominated by homosexuals, and it was pretty in America 15-20 years ago. So today’s celebration of gay rights isn’t exactly a new phenomenon.
One of my favorite songs of 1998 was the Backstreet Boys’ “I’ll never break your heart.”
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that they will partner with PepsiCo and Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters’ Association (with a very very unfortunate name) to participate in the 43th Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30. Fire defender Costa Rica native Gonzalo Segares (we’re huge in Costa Rica did you know that?) and midfielder Brendan King are scheduled to attend the event and ride on the float.
Segares and King will be joined by Fire mascot Sparky on the float. A group of 20 Fire front office staff and representatives from Section 8 Chicago will hand out Fire items, including sunglasses and beads.
The Chicago Gay Pride Parade is the culmination of the annual Pride Celebration, which took place June 22-24. Since its inception, Chicago Pride has grown into one of the largest and well-known Pride events in the world. Pride has come to symbolize the long history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer dignity, the freedom of all people to meaningfully and proudly express their sexual and gender identities, and the commitment of LGBT people to combating oppression.
The parade is scheduled to begin at noon on Montrose Avenue and Broadway, and ends near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road in Lincoln Park. Additional information on the Chicago Pride Parade can be found here.
As part of the Pride Initiative, the Fire have a special ticket offer for the Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact match at Toyota Park on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. CT (My50/La Ley 107.9). A portion of all ticket sales purchased as part of this offer will go directly to Equality Illinois and the fight for marriage equality in Illinois.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. (“Quasi-endorsed” by Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly) He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
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