Chicago considering affirmative action for gays: Why stop there?

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is considering adding to the gays to the city's affirmative action program. In its current form, set-asides are rife with fraud; gay preferences, if enacted, promise to be no different. In fact, this one could be worse. Will someone claim they're gay just to get more city business?

Crain's Chicago Business' Greg Hinz thinks this parade shouldn't get started.

Mayor Richard M. Daley may have thought he was doing gay men and lesbians a favor when he pretty much endorsed a proposal by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), the city's first openly gay alderman, to set aside a certain share of city contracts for firms owned by homosexuals.

On behalf of what I suspect is a pretty big share of the community, I want to thank both for their gesture. I also want to suggest that this bad idea be filed right back in whatever drawer it came out of, 'cause this is not something Chicago needs, for straight or gay people.

Most gay and lesbian people just want what everybody else wants, to be treated the same as everyone else. That means no nasty names — I'll allow an exception if the queen next to me won't shut up when I finally get around to seeing Bruno — no discrimination and, yes, indeed, the right to be just as miserable in marriage as most straight couples pretend to be.

"Equality" doesn't mix with "preference." And that's what's wrong with this proposal.

But if the gay set-aside does go through, I have another group that is commonly discrimated against in Chicago that the mayor should consider helping out: Republicans.

When is our parade?

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