As Twitchy reported, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was busy Wednesday introducing a proposal that would prohibit hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores in the city from requiring patrons to prove their gender in order to use restrooms. In all honesty, it’s probably a good idea: it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out how most citizens of Chicago would choose to prove their gender if asked.

“We’re going to make the changes to reflect our values,” Emanuel told reporters, echoing his effort to muscle Chick-fil-A out of the city by explaining that “Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values.” Again the mayor is correct: Chick-fil-A offers plenty of great values, while Chicago offers strict gun control laws that just aren’t working.

Well aware of the laws in place, Emanuel tried to get ahead of the surge of violence expected this summer by kicking off the city’s #PutTheGunsDown initiative Thursday afternoon.

Let's #PutTheGunsDown, Chicago! Join us on Friday, May 27th from 7pm-9pm and stand up against violence. pic.twitter.com/lo8NOmnsgw — 311 (@Chicago311) May 19, 2016

At anti-violence event, Mayor Rahm Emanuel says issues that led to a lack of trust in police are longstanding. pic.twitter.com/erL8Ho39Tb — Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) May 19, 2016

Today probably wasn’t the best day to hold a press conference on tackling the city’s problem with gun violence. In the course of 16 hours starting Wednesday and continuing into early Thursday morning, 20 people were shot in Chicago, two fatally.

2 people killed, at least 18 others wounded in Chicago shootings since midmorning Wednesday https://t.co/zfSh5L0rzj pic.twitter.com/DjFT3GXZps — Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) May 19, 2016

Among the shootings reported were a 28-year-old man found dead in a vacant lot with a single gunshot wound to the head and a 12-year-old boy who was wounded when several shots were fired into a restaurant (not a Chick-fil-A, by the way) from an SUV.

@chicagotribune well .. guess I'm not moving to Chicago any time soon — Danja Morithil (@DMorithil) May 19, 2016

Is anyone calling for the national guard. This is unacceptable. Where is help for black Americans? @RahmEmanuel https://t.co/FrOmhhr15W — Vonnie (@Vonnie932) May 19, 2016

Protesters disrupt Emanuel anti-violence event: 'He's got our children's murders on his hands!' https://t.co/PxSpa6Uuu1 — Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) May 19, 2016

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's anti-violence news conference interrupted by a couple protesters. pic.twitter.com/tWr9XSkebw — Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) May 19, 2016

At the #PutTheGunsDown kickoff, Emanuel shared one of his proudest accomplishments. “Three years ago we had 24 hours without any gun violence,” he told reporters. “I believe we can do better than that.”

He seems to be aiming rather high, no pun intended.

Related:

As shootings in Chicago pass 1,000, Rahm Emanuel deploys hashtag, announces police reforms