Tunney Asks Residents If Pride Parade Should Move Downtown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After saying he's open to moving the annual Pride Parade out of Boystown, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has launched a survey to find out if the community would support moving the parade downtown.
WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller reports, the day after this year's parade, Tunney said he is "not afraid to look" at the option of moving after it has spent most of the last 45 years in Lakeview.
The parade regularly draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands, with more than a million people gathering this year, to celebrate the state law allowing same-sex marriage in Illinois.
Eight were arrested during the parade, but afterward some residents and businesses said police didn't do enough to keep the peace.
One bar manager said police acted more like "crossing guards."
Tunney has posted a 15-question survey on his website, asking people what they think of the security during and after the parade, what were their top concerns about the parade, how their experience could be improved, and whether they think the parade should be moved downtown to Columbus Drive.
In a brief interview with WBBM, Tunney said he didn't want to talk about the survey.
"I don't think it's a big story," he said.
The survey is on Tunney's website until September 5.
Asked about the chances of moving the parade, Tunney said: "I've made no pre-determined conclusions."
"I'm eagerly waiting to see the results," he added.
