Chicago Favors Gay Owned Businesses

Yesterday, Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley said he would give full support to an effort that would give special consideration to businesses owned by gays and lesbians for city contracts.

Chicago works hard to keep city contracts distributed amongst various groups as they set aside part of their contracts for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and female owned businesses. Now Alderman Thomas Tunney, the openly gay council member who represent the city’s 44th district, has asked for companies owned by gays and lesbians to added to the list of those who are granted consideration in doing business with the city.

In response Mayor Daley stated in the Chicago Tribune:

“I think it’s good. It helps small businesses. It helps businesses grow in the city, and that’s what you want.”

This is a great example of fairness and Chicago is a true leader in their efforts towards recognizing the LGBT population as an important part of American society.

Thomas Tunney

Chicago's Mayor Daley

Plans for GLBT High School in ChiTown Nixed

From the SunTimes.com:

Mayor Daley on Thursday put the brakes on the Chicago Board of Education’s controversial plan to open the city’s first high school serving gay and lesbian students.

One day after his handpicked school board put off a vote on the School for Social Justice Pride Campus, Daley explained why — by expressing his misgivings.

“You have to look at whether or not you isolate and segregate children. A holistic approach has always been to have children of all different backgrounds– in schools. When you start isolating children and you say, ‘Only 50 percent here, 40 percent here’ — same thing we went through with the disabled — then you want to do that when they’re adults,” Daley said.

“It’s controversial. Some people are for it. Some are against it– The Board of Education has to make the decision whether it’s good for isolating children. I don’t know– I’m just saying that’s one of the problems– You start identifying them.”

Daley insisted he was not behind the board’s decision to put off a final vote on Social Justice High until Nov. 19. The school would serve a 50/50 population of gay and straight students.

But he said, “It’s something that the Board of Education has to work out and really understand what it’s trying to do.”

Schools CEO Arne Duncan had hoped to open the school in the fall of 2010 to offer parents and students more choices and a feeling of safety. He has argued that gay and lesbian students have higher drop-out rates because they feel ostracized