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Northalsted Pride Fest, Steven Koch, GoPride.com
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PRIDE fest chicago June 22-23, 2019 The 19th annual Chicago Pride FestŽ, June 22-23, 2019, is a legendary twoday street festival held the weekend leading up to the Chicago Pride Parade with up to 100,000 expected to attend, celebrating LGBTQ+ life, culture and community. This year marks a milestone as we honor the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and the birth of the Pride movement. The festival features live music by popular artists, 4 stages, food and drink, 100+ arts/craft and merchant vendors, DJ’s and dancing, drag shows, pet parade, Out At Wrigley National Anthem Singing Contest, sponsor booths and more. Join the Chicago Pride Fest this summer for a love-filled celebration of diversity, equality, and the Chicago LGBTQ+ community at Halsted Street and Addison in Lakeview aka Boystown. The festival is easily accessible via the CTA Red Line Addison station at historic Wrigleyfield, also multiple bus lines, and rideshare car/cab services with convenient access to downtown hotels and other lodging. More info. at: https://northalsted.com/pridefest.
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chicago 50th annual pride parade information DATE: Sunday, June 30th, TIME: 12 Noon (The parade is scheduled each year for the last Sunday in June.) STARTS AT: Broadway & Montrose. LINE UP: North Broadway (both the east and the west curb lanes, from Montrose to Wilson); West Montrose (both the north and south curb lanes from Broadway to Clark); Sunnyside Ave. from Broadway to North Sheridan Rd. and North Sheridan Rd., between Montrose and Wilson. ROUTE: Step off from the Broadway/Montrose corner, proceeding south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive. CONTENT & DESCRIPTION: The parade will feature 150 registered entries, including floats, decorated vehicles, performance groups, a marching band and walking contingents. The entries represent community organizations, businesses, governmental officials and individual community members. Crowd estimates each year are in the hundreds of thousands. So the plans are to line the parade route with barricades on both sides of the street from beginning to the end of the parade route. Spectators will be required to remain behind the barricades. (Only parade registrants traveling down the middle of the street, police officers, other city officials, security staff, parade marshals and credentialed media reps are allowed in the street). ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION $1000 FINE: The parade will have more security and a tighter rein on public alcohol consumption. In addition to the large number of police officers who staff the event, PRIDEChicago (parade coordinators) are providing a security team to supplement the police presence. Penalties include, but are not limited to, $1000+ tickets being issued and/or the immediate disposal of open containers of alcohol into trash receptacles. Public urination is also grounds to receive a ticket.
STREET CLOSURES: On parade day, Sunday, June 30 include: ASSEMBLY AREA: Tentative time: 10:30am. (Check this website for any updates). PARADE ROUTE: Rolling closing times. Cross streets will close as the parade travels south down the route. The parade starts at 12 Noon at the Broadway/Montrose corner proceeding south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive. NO PARKING: Both the Assembly Area and Parade Route (listed above) will be posted with temporary signs indicating “NO PARKING ON SUNDAY JUNE 30, 2019, FROM 5:00am to 8:00pm. Both sides of the street, unless otherwise indicated.� Due to the volume of vehicles involved, the issuing of parking violation, citations, and towing will start at 5am. Updates: http://www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org CROSS STREETS: Rolling closing times. Cross streets will close as the parade travels south down the route. After stepping off at Noon, the parade will take approximately two and one-half hours to finish crossing the Broadway & Montrose corner. After this time, the floats will still be winding their way to the end of the parade route at Diversey & Sheridan. This year there will NOT be a Buffer Zone on Halsted Street after the parade ends. Police will work to re-open the streets to vehicular traffic as soon as cleaning crews are finished and the streets will not remain open to foot traffic.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: From the Red Line: Wilson, Sheridan, Addison or Belmont all provide access via a short walk to the parade route. The Belmont station (and the surrounding area) tends to become the most crowded, so you are encouraged to consider watching the parade from the other parts of the route, including areas toward the start of the route, such as Broadway, south of Montrose which are served by both the nearby Wilson and Sheridan stations on the Red Line. In addition, PARADE DAY HEALTH & SAFETY: Bring plenty a number of lakefront bus routes including the 146 and 151 provide convenient access from of bottled water, sunscreen and a hat or other head covering, and dress lightly because parade the north, the Gold Coast/North Michigan Ave. and downtown to areas east of the parade day is usually hot and sunny. route. CONTINUED >>
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stonewall 50 millions of moments of pride Historically, in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Pride events were concentrated during a week called “Pride Week” in Chicago, as well as other cities nationwide. However, as the communities grew, there was a realization both locally and nationally that Pride Week needed to be expanded to “Pride Month” in order to accommodate the abundance of events. Spacing events over an entire month allows potential participants the choice of selecting events that they want to attend at their leisure. Now, every year in Chicago, June Pride Month features close to one hundred different social, cultural, athletic and political events coordinated by various community organizations, groups and individuals. The events take place in different areas of the Chicago metro area. They include choral concerts, workshops, dances, picnics, religious services, plays, film screenings, 5K & 10 K runs, several festivals, a dyke march and the Annual Pride Parade, just to name a few.
June Pride Month, 2019 Although LGBTQ rights groups have existed for decades, the modern day gay movement is traced to June 28, 1969 when patrons of a New York City Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, fought back during a raid by police. At that time, gay bar raids had become common in cities throughout the country. That night, patrons of the bar battled the police, and street demonstrations continued for several days. During that week, gay liberation organizations were formed, thus giving birth to the modern day LGBTQ rights movement. In the four decades since Stonewall, the world has changed dramatically. The accomplishments, as well as some setbacks since that time are many. Although a lot has been accomplished during the past 50 years, there is still a long way to go.
Every year, these events are compiled by PRIDEChicago, to create the June Pride Month Calendar. The calendar is featured on their web site www. chicagopridecalendar.org. However, their primary responsibility is to coordinate the Chicago Annual Pride Parade. The parade is scheduled each year for the last Sunday in June.
Every year, Pride is commemorated and celebrated around the world in many different ways. Events include parades, marches, street festivals, athletic events, choral concerts, workshops, etc. The bottom line is that these events bring together millions of people worldwide.
Each year, parade entries, as well as groups sponsoring Pride Month events, have the option of using the international theme, or a theme or slogan of their own choice. This year’s international theme is: “Millions of Moments of Pride.” Some parade entries and event coordinators may also choose to use a “Stonewall 50: Millions of Moments of Pride”.
Chicago commemorates and celebrates Pride with close to one hundred different events during June Pride Month (June 1 to 30). The Chicago Annual Pride Parade is scheduled each year for the last Sunday in June. The Chicago 50th Annual Pride Parade is scheduled for Sunday June 30, 2019 at 12 Noon.
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pride parade grand marshals JUNE PRIDE MONTH, 2019 CHICAGO 50th ANNUAL PRIDE PARADE: SUNDAY JUNE 30 at 12 NOON
THEME: Stonewall 50: “Millions of Moments of Pride”
The Chicago 50th Annual Pride Parade, scheduled for Sunday June 30 at 12 noon is the culmination of a full month of events coordinated by various community organizations and individuals known as June Pride Month in Chicago. Pride Parades are staged in over 200 cities worldwide in more than 100 cities in the United States with at least 12 taking place on the last weekend in June every year. In recent years, many are staged in small towns across the country and recently in various suburbs of Chicago. The Chicago Pride Parade, starting at 12 Noon, will take the traditional route starting at the corner of Broadway & Montrose and ending at Diversey & Cannon Drive. The parade will feature floats, decorated vehicles, marching bands, and walking contingents with several new entries and surprises to be announced soon ! Historically, Pride Parades commemorate the Stonewall rebellion that took place on June 28,1969, when patrons of a New York City gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, fought back during a raid by police. At that time, gay bars were frequently raided across the country. That night, patrons fought back and street demonstrations continued for several days. During that week, gay liberation groups were formed, thus giving birth to the modern day LGBTQ+ rights movement. GRAND MARSHALS For this year’s Chicago’s 50th Annual Pride Parade there will be several Grand Marshals. There will be an Honorary Grand Marshal; a Youth Grand Marshal; several“ Legacy” Grand Marshals (three community members continually active in LGBTQ+ organizations and/or business since before Stonewall for 50 years +) and an Organizational Grand Marshal. 26 boiMAG
HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL Mayor Lori Lightfoot Mayor Lightfoot’s bio is well known to the public who in record numbers voted for her in the mayoral election. Her background and experience in both federal positions and local positions with previous administrations is also part of the public record. Mayoral Lightfoot will be marching near the front of the parade (directly behind the front banner and color guard carried by the Scout troops) as her predecessors Mayor Daley and Mayor Emanuel did as well). She is the first open lesbian mayor in the city’s history. YOUTH GRAND MARSHAL - Molly Pinta Youth Grand Marshal is a 12 year old middle school student who lobbied to have a Pride Parade in her home town Buffalo Grove and came out as a lesbian to her parents, friends, teachers and world-at-large. Molly is the result and a shining example of the hard work and sacrifices made by those generations of activists who for 50 years have toiled before, and leading up to Stonewall. Molly attended last year’s Aurora Pride Parade and decided to plan for a parade in her hometown Buffalo Grove. She and her family have long been advocates for social justice in her town. Molly is also a longtime actor, singer and dancer. She has aspirations to be a teacher like her parents, and continue running their new non profit, The Pinta Pride Project to keep Pride coming to Buffalo Grove every year and support other young people in bringing their own events. LEGACY GRAND MARSHALS Three community members continually active in LGBTQ+ organizations and/or businesses for 50 years starting before Stonewall. They include: Joel Hall, community activist and founder of the Joel Hall Dance Company; and Jim Flint, community activist and owner of the Baton Show Loungel and Marge Summit, longtime community activist and owner of the His ‘n Hers bar that brought LGBTQ+ women and men and our Allies together for entertainment, good food and comaraderie. JIM FLINT - CHICAGO'S 50 YEARS Community activist, best known as the owner of the Baton Show Lounge. CONTINUED >>
LEGACY GRAND MARSHAL JIM FLINT - 50 YEARS OF BATON According to Jim Flint, owner of Chicago’s Baton Show Lounge for 50 years, Stonewall made us all more diligent and active in gay rights. 50 years ago in 1969, at the end of February/first of March, the Baton Show Lounge opened and participated in the first ever Gay Pride Parade. Jim lead march on city hall to stop police raids and harassments that happened more frequently that not at bars that catered to a gay cliental.
Jim also lead & participated in the organization of AIDS awareness and distribution of AIDS prevention information such as condoms, pamphlets, etc. and personally went to San Francisco to pick up info. He also help organize first meetings and support the founding of Chicago House and was one of the first gay man to run for public office in City of Chicago.
Anita Bryant, a hit recording artist and commercial TV spokesperson, who used her fame to became the voice against the gay lifestyle. Jim Flint spoke out against her anti-gay outlandish behaviors and participated in the Anita Bryant protest march. Jim is Member Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame, a member of NAGAAA (North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association) Hall of Fame (Softball), and an original member and cofounder of Windy City Athletic Association (Chicago Sports Organization). boiMAG 29