CHICAGO - Nevermind that Chicago hosted the 2006 International Gay Games. Or that it has the country’s first government-recognized gay neighborhood. Or that up to 400,000 people attend the city’s Gay Pride Parade each year.
When most people think of gay-friendly cities, Chicago - hog butcher to the world, home of the Blues Brothers, legendary playground of Al Capone - isn’t even on the map. While New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles long ago established themselves as America’s gay meccas, Chicago’s reach has seldom extended beyond the Midwest.
But city officials, including Mayor Richard M. Daley, and members of the gay community are hoping a new community center - the largest in the region - establishes Chicago as a national destination for gays, with resources geared toward both residents and tourists.
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