On May 1—a monumental day for immigrant-rights activists—Equality Illinois issued a press release stating its support for the huge rally that took place in downtown Chicago.
‘Immigration reform is certainly an issue of importance to gay and lesbian Americans,’ stated Rick Garcia, the organization’s political director. ‘Current immigration policy is unfair and unjust for gay people and our families…. Our non-citizen partners can be deported, [which] causes financial hardship, emotional suffering and it tears our families apart—especially for gay couples with children.’
Also, the LGBT Catholic group known as Rainbow Sash has come out in support of immigrants. In a release, U.S. Convener Joe Murray criticized legislators, saying that ‘ [b] y substituting political pandering for sound public policy, lawmakers have brought our system of immigration to its knees, jeopardizing our economy and threatening to divide American citizens into two classes: criminals and informants.’ In addition, Murray called those who have a gay rights-first, immigration rights-later policy ‘voices of fear and intolerance.’
Murray also added a note of hope: ‘People have a right to live their lives without fear. Many illegal immigrants have lived in fear, but no more—a new day is coming.’
The downtown rally, which was attended by hundreds of thousands, drew such speakers as U.S. representatives Luis Guiterrez, D-Ill., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.