Activists call on Chicago to reverse permit denial for march before Democratic National Convention

In Chicago activist Andy Thayer’s experience, Democratic presidential administrations typically deliver the “bare minimum” while in office. But amid increasing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and threats to abortion rights, Thayer doesn’t think the bare minimum is enough.

“When (Democrats) get into office, the only pressure they feel is from the far right,” said Thayer, the co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network. “It’s up to us here in Chicago and other blue states to say, ‘No, that’s not enough.’”