Chicago Cardinal Francis George was roundly criticized Friday after he compared members of the gay liberation movement to the Ku Klux Klan. The cardinal was concerned that the planned route of the gay pride parade in June 2012 would interfere with services at a North Side parish.
"You know you don't want the Gay Liberation Movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism," he said while taping an interview for Fox News.
"I think the cardinal's remarks were inappropriate and disrespectful," said Greg Harris, an openly gay state representative whose district includes the parade route. "We should always treat each other with respect, even when we disagree."
Meanwhile, parade organizers have agreed to delay the start until noon to accommodate Sunday parishioners along the parade route.