Chicago’s iconic lesbian mayor Lori Lightfoot eviscerates her critics with one simple truth
Lori Lightfoot wasted no time worrying about homophobic criticism (Screenshot: ABC7 Chicago)
Lori Lightfoot has defiantly shrugged off her critics with a speech reminding them that democracy isn’t about those “who scream the loudest”.
Two days after a pro-Trump preacher unleashed a homophobic rant against her for marrying a woman, Chicago’s Black lesbian mayor proudly rose to the podium to do what she does best.
Speaking at an event to promote sign-ups for the US Census, Lori Lightfoot gave a rousing political address urging Chicagoans to stand up and fight for a democracy that is now “under siege from multiple directions”.
“To those who think I’m referring to president Trump and his brazen corruption and attack on our institutions, I’ll save the suspense. I am,” she said.
“But the siege I’m speaking about is about more than just one man – even though he is very much a symptom of the cause. Our democracy is under siege because we are losing the engagement democracy demands in alarming ways.”
She referenced George Floyd’s shocking death and the protests that followed, and encouraged people to remain engaged even as they feel disconnected from their government and each other.
Too many people feel the White House “doesn’t work for them” and has failed to “respond to their daily struggle,” so they “find other outlets for engagement,” Lightfoot said.
She stressed the need to find ways to compromise and build bridges with those we disagree with, saying that otherwise the political divide will only deepen.
“Democracy requires us to engage in a public square, where we can debate and find the facts and the arguments to persuade. It requires us to build coalitions and find common ground,” she said.
“What Democratic engagement doesn’t mean is who screams the loudest. It doesn’t mean issuing a set of demands and then villainizing anyone who doesn’t immediately pledge allegiance to your particular manifesto.
“If democracy fundamentally represents our shared acknowledgement of our shared humanity, then our democracy will utterly fail, if we cease to see that humanity in each other.”
