If you have a message of tolerance you want to make plain in an annual parade, but are tired of just preaching to the choir….what do you do?

This year in Chicago the gay and lesbian community were asking that same question. They wanted to get across that message to more than just those within their own community who don’t need to necessarily hear it, but wanted to ensure a wider audience that included people from all walks of life both gay and straight.

With the aid of George Takei, who just recently “came out” and made known to the press and his fans the fact that he was gay, the organizers of the 37th Annual 2006 Chicago Gay Pride Parade this past Sunday were able to get the kind of crowds usually reserved for annual big national holiday parades.

Takei was honored as this year’s Grand Marshal and was received with overwhelming enthusiasm by everyone in the crowd-filled streets along the parade route.

Takei has spent his entire adult life as an outspoken critic of intolerance on all issues dealing with human rights and his status as one of the most respected members of the entertainment and political activist community has opened up greater doors of dialogue on the issue of gay/lesbian rights in America.

Riding with George in the Grand Marshal’s car was Brad Altman, his long-time partner of nearly 20 years.