Anti-DOMA rally in Lake View

Several Chicago LGBTQ-rights groups led a demonstration to call for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) June 11 at the corner of Roscoe and Halsted.

DOMA, passed in 1996, currently bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. It has been declared unconstitutional in both federal district court and by the Obama administration’s Department of Justice. The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) was introduced into both houses of Congress in March. The RMA would compel the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where it is legal, extending those couples the 1,138 rights currently denied to them.

“We need full marriage equality, in this state and nationwide,” said Join The Impact Chicago’s Andrea Crain in a statement. “And we need our whole community and all our allies to join in the fight. This rally aims to energize the community and get everyone involved in the next phase of the struggle.”

Following the rally, the crowd marched through Boystown before returning to the original spot.

Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago, Gay Liberation Network, Join The Impact Chicago, LGBT Change, International Socialist Organization, News & Letters Committee and All Saints’ Justice Circle co-sponsored the event.

For information on DOMA, visit www.domawatch.org. For more on the organizers, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Bisexual-Queer-Alliance-Chicago/125455307508316; www.gayliberation.net; wwww.jointhimpactchicago.com; and www.lgbtchange.org. Photos courtesy of Andy Thayer