Chicago's candidates for mayor are making their views on gay rights known this week, hoping to drum up support within the city's LGBT community.
Gery Chico met with members of Chicago's gay community at Ann Sather restaurant on the North Side Sunday, and said he hopes the Illinois legislature will pass Senate Bill 1716, a bill that would legalize civil unions for same-sex couples in Illinois. The General Assembly is set to consider the measure on Tuesday.
"This is a civil rights issue," Chico said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's just that easy. And it's not the end of the line but the road to looking at same-sex marriage."
Chico said if civil unions are not passed on a state level, he would not push for a Chicago-only measure if elected mayor.
"I'm not much for drama and hollow actions," Chico said, according to the Tribune. "We don't want to mislead people and give them the false impression that they have protections if it may not hold up."
State lawmakers have been confident about passing SB 1716, and though Chico has no control over whether the measure passes, he said a Mayor Chico could change several things in the city if elected. From the Sun-Times:
Chico said as mayor he would advocate for domestic partner benefits and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He also said he would work on behalf of the LGBT community in other areas, including equal employment, economic development, community partnerships, HIV/AIDS issues, transgender equality and hate crimes.
Chico was not the only candidate reaching out to the gay community this weekend. In a Sunday Gay Chicago magazine article, candidate Miguel del Valle vowed to fight LGBT bullying in Chicago's schools.
"So the bullying that takes place, whether in the form of verbal assault or physical assault, these are things the schools have to take very seriously, because it stays with you for the rest of your life, and the policies need to be there and they need to be clear," del Valle told the magazine. "People have to understand that it cannot be ignored."
The candidate said he would make sure CPS had training and clear policies at every school to prevent bullying against LGBT students--or any student for that matter.
Chico and del Valle are not the only mayoral candidates who support the gay community, Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun have both vocally supported the Illinois civil unions bill.
Though Equality Illinois Director Rick Garcia praised Chico at Sunday's event, he has not endorsed a candidate yet, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"It's too early to make an endorsement. My job is to talk to mayoral candidates and make sure they take into consideration gay issues," Garcia told the paper. "We want to make sure the next mayor follows in [Mayor] Daley's footsteps."