As June marks a month of celebration in LGBTQ+ communities nationwide, the Western suburbs and West Side are no strangers to the festivities.
Looking to celebrate? Here are concerts, parades, scavenger hunts and other events you don’t want to miss.
Oak Park/River Forest
Wednesday Matinee Film Series: “Pride”
Wednesday, June 12, Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
This film screening highlights a friendship between a mining community in Wales and a group of London-based queer activists. Re gistration is limited
Grandad’s Pride Parade & Craft
Monday, June 17, Oak Park Public Library outside plaza, 11 a.m. to noon
This craft hour will start with a reading of “Grandad’s Pride” outside the main library. Afterward, staff will scatter ribbons throughout Scoville Park for participants to find to create their own rainbow wands.
Pride Shake, Rattle & Read with Oak Park Public Library
Tuesday, June 20 , Lindberg Park, 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
This storytime session features books, songs and games centered around identity, self-expression and love Weather permitting, the event will feature a visit from the Oak Park Book Bike, OPPL’s mobile library where patrons can learn about services and programs, check out books and apply for a library card.
2024 Oak Park Pride Party
Saturday, June 22, Village Hall South Lawn, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Participants should bring their rainbow-themed outfits
for this family-friendly celebration. Hosted by the Village of Oak Park, it will feature ice cream, face painting, a DJ, games, a bounce house and a magician.
Brunchin’ Beauties drag show
Saturday, June 29
Two shows at Kettlestrings Tavern, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the OPRF Chamber of Commerce, this year’s event features two drag shows, up from one due to popular demand, along with drinks, mocktails and a fourcourse meal.
Forest Park
Pride Kite Kits
June 1 to June 17, Forest Park Public Library
Starting on the first day of Pride Month, the library will distribute make-your-own kite kits to library patrons for pride-themed decoration. Participants must return their kite by June 17 for display at the library and a chance to win an Escape Factor gift card.
The winner will be drawn July 5. Participants who wish to be entered in the raffle must include their name somewhere on the kite. Re gistration is limited
Rainbow Dance Party Pride Storytime
Thursday, June 20, Forest Park Public Library Austin Room, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Celebrate love and self-expression with a morning of music and movement at the Forest Park Public Library. The event is designed for children ages six and under, accompanied by a parent. Re gistration is limited
Forest Park Annual Pride Fest
Friday, June 21, Constitution Court, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Co-hosted by the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association (OPALGA+), Play it Again Sports and Robert’s Westside, admission is free to this evening of drag performances, live music, food and drinks.
Pisco 4 Pride
Friday, June 21, Table and Lain, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Featuring cocktails, appetizers, a live DJ, dancing and a drag show, all proceeds from ticket sales for this community party will go towards OPALGA+ fundraising.
Teen Craft: Rainbow Bookmarks
Wednesday, June 12, Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Library patrons are invited to make their own rainbow bookmarks. Re gistration is required and limited, but walkins are welcome to observe.
Fifth Annual Berwyn Pride Walk
Saturday, June 24, Beginning at Stanley Av enue and Gunderson Av enue, noon. to 2 p.m.
T he Pr ogr ess and P ride L GBTQ+ Youth A dvo cate P anel will precede the parade at noon at Youth Crossr oad s, w here youth activists will w elcome pa rt icipants and provide i nsights on c hallenges and t riumphs in the community.
T he parade starts outside Youth Crossroads at 1 p. m. , loops around Proksa Pa rk and ends at 2 p. m. with a Juneteenth celebration.
Film screening: The Kids Are Alright
Wednesday, June 5, Chicago Public Library
— Austin Branch, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
This romantic comedy is a tale of commitment and the emotional flows of raising children in a queer relationship. It’s a part of the Chicago Public Library’s Community Cinema program.
West Side Chicago Gay/LGBTQ+ Ride
Sunday, June 23, Starting at 2 p.m. at Joey G’s Mac n’ Cheese, Augusta Boulevard. and Western Av enue
This event is tailored to enthusiasts of bikes, motorcycles, scooters and other two-wheeled contraptions. Joey G’s Mac n’ Cheese organized the ride through Chicago’s West Side as a celebration of love, identity, diversity and the community for med around riding in groups. Participants are free to don their pride-themed gear, and no prior re gistration is required
Film screening: Bros
Thursday, June 27, Chica go Public Library — Austin Branch, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
This coming-of-age film follows a gay c ouple’s journey from attraction to commitment as they expose their vulnerabil-
itie s. It ’s shown as a pa rt of the Chicago Public Library’s Community Cinema progr am.
Pride Picnic — Chicago Urban Pride
Sunday, June 30
ginning at Jackson Pa rk from noon to 8 p.m. with an after par ty at The Promontory from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
This free and family-friendly picnic will feature live DJs, entertainment, giveaways and food. The after party is limited to patrons 21 and over.
PRIDEChicago’s Chicago Pride rade
Saturday, June 30, Starting at West SheriRoad and North Broadway at 11 a.m.
On the last Sunday of June for more than 50 years, the organization PRIDEChicago has topped of f the month of celebration with a procession through Lakeview and Lincoln Park. It’s one of the city and couns most widely known and well-attended pride events, and one of the world’s largest neighborhood parades.
This year’s parade features 150 re gistered entries including community organizations, businesses, government officials and individual community members. It’s decked out with floats, outfitted vehicles, marching bands and perfor mance groups.
Dr. Stephen Whitfield, a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, brings a passion for community-focused healthcare to Oak Park. Completing his residency at Northwestern, he is board-certified in family medicine with a specialization in HIV treatment and LGBTQ issues.
Dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and promoting inclusivity, Dr. Whitfield provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages. Fluent in Spanish, he strives to ensure that every patient receives culturally competent treatment.
CONTACT US
Outside of his medical practice, he enjoys listening to comedy podcasts, engaging in friendly games of chess, and spending quality time with his siblings.
Angel LeBare, Forest Park actor, ballroom dancer, drag queen sublime, used to host shows for five years at the late, lamented Oak Park branch of Hamburger Mary’s, but now hosts at the original Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville.
LeBare also hosts events throughout the suburbs and is one of the forces behind the Forest Park Pride Celebration Friday, June 21, that was founded three years ago by Forest Park business owner and resident, Erich Krumrei, LeBare, and their partner, Dan Walsh.
T he event includes P ride Drag Pe rfor mance at 7 p. m. at the Constitution Cour in downtown Fo rest Pa rk , wh ich L eBare, naturally, hosting. T he event also includes a retinue of other performers: Fox E. Kim, Andromeda, A lex Kay, A kasha Voye r, Elle Bowz, Britney Taylor, and L ondon BaCall. After the event, an after pa rt y with a dditional drag performances will be held at the 2nd floor of the near by Scratch Public House
We recently caught up with Angel to discuss their life and career. T he conver sation has been lightly edited for clarit style and length.
Re porter: You have been performing drag for how long?
Angel: 15 years.
Re porter: What do you like best about performing drag?
Angel: Things I like most to perform in drag are impersonations or female artists I like to pay homage to their looks and perfor mance styles. I do impersonations of Dolly Parton, Katy Perry, JLo, Cher, and Pink. I also enjoy doing cosplay and character drag, perfor ming various superheroes, cartoon characters, and Disney characters. I have costumes for almost every Disney Princess, superheroes and villains. Every Halloween my perfor mance troupe does a Hocus Pocus tribute. I play Winnifred.
Re porter: Who were the perfor mers you idolized growing up?
Angel: The Spice Girls, Judy Garland, Charlie’s Angels
Re porter: Who, other than yourself, is your favorite performer?
Angel: Beyonce
Re porter. If you could meet anyone in history, who would you meet and why?
Angel: Judy Garland. I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan.
Re porter: What was the last movie or TV that really touched you?
Angel: I am currently entrenched in watching Bridgerton. The storyline is great and the costuming is sublime.
Re porter: How did you get into performing?
Angel: I have been a perfor mer my whole life. I have always been a natural performer. I have studied theater, music,
and dance and am also ballroom instructor and musical theater teacher.
Re porter: So, you were, like, a theater growing up?
Angel: I did plays and musicals growing up. Roles I have played outside or drag include Paul in “A Chorus Line,” The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” Emmett in “Legally Blonde,” Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” The Tin Man and The Lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” The Scareow in “The Wiz,” and Skimbleshanks and Munkustrap in “Cats.”
Re porter: How did you get into drag? Angel: I got into drag when I pl ayed the role of Angel in a production of onathan Larson’s iconic musical) ENT. Side note: Angel is an ambiguous haracter in RENT who some beli eve is a drag queen, others a transgender oman, and others read as genderfluid; the author neve r specified. The piece tself is incredible, and I felt honored to be able to be a pa rt of telling that story. he perfor mance as Angel inspired my drag career and will always hold a ve ry special place in my hear t. While performing as Angel, I entered a local drag c ompetition and won. Th at led to c ompeting the following month. ontinued to win, wh ich led to me being of fered a host p osition. While pe rrm ing there, various other ve nues approached me about performing for them and things just sort of took of f.
Re porter: Where have you performed? An ge l : I have performed extensive ly throughout the Chicagoland area, I was a hostess at the Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville for 8 years and the Oak Pa rk location for 5 year s. I’ve also perfor med at every other perfor manc e ve nue in Chicago’s Boystown, as well as The Office in Ro ckford, LaCa ge in Milwaukee, and Club Icon in Kenosha. I have also perfor med at ve nues in New Yo rk , Texas, Florida, and Hawaii.
Re porter: How long does it take you to get ready for a show?
Angel: It really depends on the look I am
doing and how extensive the make-up and/ or costuming is. Generally, about 2 hours.
Re porter: Do you become someone different when you become Angel, or is Angel just another side of your real life personality?
Angel: Angel is absolutely an extension of me, Angel is a very extroverted version of me.
Re porter: What do you like to do when you are not on stage?
Angel: I like to play video games and enjoy time with my par tner and pets. I have two Pomeranians, a Shiba Inu, and two Persian cats.
Re porter: Are you developing something special for the show in Forest Park in June?
Angel: I have created three new looks for the Forest Park Pride Performance and the after par ty at Scratch Public House. I am looking forward to presenting them.
Re porter: This is not your first Pride event in Forest Park. What is it about this event that keeps you coming back?
Angel: This has been a project my partner and I helped to build and create from the ground up three years ago and we are very proud and honored of what we have built and hope everyone will join us. Our first year was a trial, setting up the event with the village. It went well, so the next year we added some elements and this year we are adding more. The
community really seems to love it so that is why it has continued into year three.
Reporter: What does Pride mean to you?
Angel: Loving who you are and striving to be the best person you can be.
Re porter: What does Pride mean in Forest Park?
Angel: I can only speak for what Pride means to me, but I would assume the feelings would be similar for the village of Forest Park — Pride in oneself and pride in the community.
Re porter: As a Forest Parker, do you find the community welcoming? A good place to live? Open to the LBGTQIA+ community?
Angel: Yes, I do. I have been a part of various Pride events in Forest Park, Oak Park and Berwyn, and have always felt that the general populace is welcoming and inclusive
Re porter: How do you create energy and a sense of community in your shows? Or is it just something you have always been able to do?
Angel: I don’t really think about it to be honest. Once the show starts it just sort of naturally happens. I am a people person and I try to make everyone at my shows feel welcome and a part of it.
The recipients of the OPALGA+ Scholar ship include Archer Bart and Aspyn Lawrence from Lyons Township High School, Emma Costello-Wollwage and Jude Kenned from Oak Park-River Forest High School, Sean Groh from Lane Tech College Pr and Sherlyn Herrera from Steinmetz Colle Prep High School.
Delaney McHugh from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Kennedy Smit from Lindblom Math & Science Academy also have been awarded scholarships. turning scholars include Taylor MontesWilliams, who attends the University of Ne Mexico, and Emily Gonzalez, who attend Dominican University.
Each scholar possesses their own uniqu narrative, and this scholarship holds significance within the LGBTQ+ community by not only offering financial assistance but also affirming and bolstering the identities of recipients, officials said.
McHugh said they have been on a personal journey of self-discovery within the queer
an application, submit essays, and provide letters of recommendation.
“We are looking for strength of character as leaders in the LGBTQ+ community and identifying those who, during their high school career, have gone above and beyond They can be allies or LGBTQ+ parents, but they must have done things to help the community at large. Selection is based on the strength of the essay and the recommendations,” Becvar said.
Returning scholars play an important role with mentoring the new scholars for OPALGA+
“We want them to demonstrate that we support and care for the new generation entering our organization. As our organization becomes younger, originally for med by 35 members, we involve people from various backgrounds, aiming to cultivate them into leaders and encourage their long-term commitment,” Becvar said.
PROVIDED
e scholarship aims to prov ide a network of support for LGBTQIA+ students.
Throughout the year, OPALGA+ organizes approximately 40 social engagement events,
Co-Chair John Becvar
including monthly potlucks, family outings at the park, and visits to sponsors. Upcoming activities include attending the Cubs’ Pride Night and volunteering at Oak Park’s Farmers Market, where they will raise funds by making donuts. Additionally, their scholarship program remains their largest fundrais-
ing effort, supplemented by smaller events throughout the year.
“We do about 40 social engagement events throughout the year. Every month, there is a potluck, and we have family outings at the park. We visit sponsors once a month. Next month, we will attend the Cubs’ Pride Night. This month, we did an architectural tour with the Chicago Architecture Center,” Becvar said.
OPALGA+ generates funds by reaching out to its members year-round, hosting a fundraising Scholarship Gala each October, and securing corporate sponsorships from local businesses
Supporters can join OPALGA+ in recognizing the 2024 scholars at the OPALGA+ Scholarship Gala Oct. 19 at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association in Oak Park The theme for this year’s gala is “Equality for Everyone.” Tickets will be available starting in August, with proceeds benefiting the 202526 scholarship program.
Relying solely on private donations, OPALGA+ does not receive any gover nment funding. Those interested in contributing to next year’s scholarship can visit opalga. org/donate.
A new law permitting this went into e ect in April — what does that mean for nonbinary residents?By ELIZABETH SHORT Contributing Reporter
As of April 1, I llinois residents now have three g ender options, “M,” “F,” and g ender- neutral “X,” on drive r’s licenses and state identification documents. By doin g thi s, Illinois joins 21 other states with similar policies.
A 2019 law allowe d g ender- neutral marke rs on I llinoi s ID s, but it wasn’t until this s pring that residents had the o pportunity to select the g ender- neutral option fo r ID s, because the Secretary of State’s office needed to u pdate its card issuance system.
S hortly after the new p oli cy c ame i nto effect, Christop her Jensen, board member of LAGBAC , Chicago’s LGBTQ+ bar association, went to the DMV to chang e their ID. Jensen uses he and they pronouns and was the first openly nonbinary member on the board.
“I was excited,” they said. “I wanted it so badly. I was just really excited to have it, for it to accurately reflect who I am…It’s a really powerful affirmation from the state, and it takes a step towards taking away that erasure, giving people their identities back, hearing their voices.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2022 U.S. Trans Survey Early Insights report showed that 22% of respondents had been “verbally harassed, assaulted, asked to leave a location, or denied services” after showing an ID with a name or gender that did not correspond with their presentation.
with lowe r attempts of attempted suicide.
“For p eople who are g etting it, it ’s a p eace of mind,” sai d Jensen. “There is a c omfort in knowing that the state acknowledges that we aren’t male or female and that’s okay. ”
Jensen also said that having docu mentation of nonbinary residents in Il linois c ould help to create new progr ams for nonbinary and transg ender residents
“I think if they noticed that there is a sign ificant enough amount of the population then they can say this is a community that needs to be addressed,” they said.
Gender incong r uent identificatio n c an result in d enial of employment, housing, and b enefits and bring harassment and violenc e, a ccording to the NCTE’s 2015 National Transgender Discrimin ation Su rve y. Accurate and c onsistent identification is necessary to open b ank a ccounts, starting jobs, enrolling in school, and traveling Fo r transgender and nonbinary individuals, affirmation of g ender and pronouns can also be life-saving and vital in suicide prevention. According to the Trevor Project, respecting g ender identity among young transg ender and nonbinary people is consistently associated
wever, some p eople are hesitant to identify as nonbinary on ID s. T he trans ommunity experiences high levels of violenc e, especially transgender p eop le of c olor and Black transgender women. According to the 2015 U. S. Transgender Survey I llinois Stat e Re po rt , 69% of respondents wh o i nteracted with p olice or other law enforcement who knew they we re transgender re ported experiencing mistreatment. Especially for those with a dditional identities targeted by p olice violenc e, the “X” marke r as an automatic signifier of a trans identity brings some concer ns
“I’ve talked to a lot of p eople about this and a lot of them are oncerned about the fact that it is going to be a signal i mmediately to a olice officer that they ’re trans,” Jensen said. “Just by handing over their ID. S ame for TSA securit y, bars checking I Ds… I think there’s some personal safety c oncerns that p eople have about sharing that info rm ation with everyone they encounter.”
S ome p eople have a dvo cated for an elimination of g ender alto g ether on identification documents.
“While including a g ender- neutral option on identity documents is a step in the right direction, it would be b etter to eliminate g ender from I Ds alto g ether. It ’s not
relevant anymore since the p hoto ID became prominent,” St ep hanie Skora, executive director of Br ave Space A llianc e, a Black- and Trans-led L GBTQ c enter on the South Side, told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2019. Fo r p eople who do choose to change the g ender on their ID, the nonbinary option c an bring securit y, c omfo rt , and af firmation.
“The most important thing is for affirmation of individual p eople’s g ender identity,” said Jensen. “For me, having a state ID that says a ccurately wh at my g ender is, rather than being forced to pick b etween one of two things that do n’ t apply, there’s a ps ychological b enefit to that for individuals.”
To ensure that this new p oli cy is p ositive, re g ular trainings c ould be essential. “A nybo dy that i nteracts with the public, as a gove r nment official, should have some kind of training on how to have a respectful c onve rsation with p eople that you may not understand or even ag ree with,” Jensen said. “It’s still none of your business. You still have to treat them with as much respect as you do anyone else.”
Since April 2022, United States citizens also have been able to choose the nonbinary “X” g ender on passports T he gover nment has resources for nonbinary international travelers: https://ow.ly/SIIf50S7gzm
Illinois residents wanting to change their gender can go to the DMV and complete a gender designation change form. The fee for a new dri ver’s license is $5 and for a new state ID card is $10.
Planned Parenthood has a comprehensive guide on how to change g ender and name markers in Illinois: https:// ow.ly/b0GO50S7gI2
To find more information on different states’ policies on ID documents and gender, visit transequality.org/documents
The event will be held on Friday, June 21, 2024 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Constitution Cour t in Forest Park
By MARTHA BRENNAN Contributing Reporter“I’ve had a lot of people come up to me after and during the event and share really moving and powerful stories,” said Erich Krumrei, owner of Forest Park Play It Again Sports on Madison Street in Forest Park.
He organized the festival when it first premiered in 2022.
“There was really no pride events in the area between the surrounding villages so I wanted to do something,” said Krumrei.
Krumrei, an Iraqi war veteran, premiered the event on his own. In subsequent years, he partnered with the Village of Forest Park and other community organizations. Because his son is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Krumrei said he wanted to show his support, both for his son and the entire community
In 2023, the event attracted roughly 450 people. Attendees included members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Megan Roach, the executive assistant to Mayor Rory E. Hoskins, emphasized that the main purpose of the event is to build a supportive community within Forest Park and surrounding areas.
“It’s definitely for everyone and everyone in the community is welcome. We want people to feel respected,” Roach said. T he village became involved with organizing the festi-
val in 2023. T he festival is also partnered with the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce.
“We wanted to participate as soon as Mayor Hoskins heard about it,” Roach said. “It has become a way for people to come together. We want everyone to feel valued.”
Last year’s celebration also involved eight drag performers. They took photos with attendees and chatted up customers inside Madison Street businesses, such as The Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor and Kribi Coffee Air Roastery.
“It’s free, it’s open to the public,” Krumrei said. “I just would hope that people who have never been to a drag performance before maybe stop by and come with an open mind.”
This year, the event will be held at dinnertime to promote family attendance.
“I think it’s a way to celebrate all families,” Roach said. “It’s also hosted by the OPALGA+ and they are very involved, helping to get the word out there.”
Cas Scaman, co-chair of OPALGA+, is hoping for a recordsetting festival tur nout.
“It has been really great for the community the past couple of years. It’s really great to do cross-community events like this,” Scaman said. “It’s really important for the LGBTQ+ community to have this kind of support.”
Last year, OPALGA+ gave Krumrei an award for his organization of the festival. Before this event, members said they felt that not much had been done to celebrate pride in the area.
Still, Krumrei is quick to deflect the focus of f of himself.
“It’s a community event,” he emphasized. “I don’t want this to be seen as my event or a Play It Again Sports event. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”
OPALGA+ merchandise will be sold at the festival to raise funds for its scholarship fund, which is donated annually to LGBTQ+ members and allies for their future endeavors.
In addition to the support that the festival provides to the LGBTQ+ community, there are also economic benefits for Madison Street businesses.
“It encourages people to walk up and down the strip and visit those businesses,” Scaman said. “
Robert’s Westside, located at 7321 Madison St., debuts
Children celebrated the Walk & Roll and created fun memories throwing color ful powder into the air to celebrate the beginning of Pr ide month.
its first year of involvement in the Forest Park Pride Festival. At the event, they are going to have a band and be a drink vendor
“We’re looking to create a fun, family friendly event for everyone,” said owner and founder of Robert’s Westside, Donnie Biggins. “We are working on adding a few more vendors for food and, hopefully, ice cream.”
Biggins also noted that the band will run from 6 to 6:45 p.m. and will be followed by drag shows from 7 to 8 p.m. on Constitution Court. For adults who wish to continue the festivities after 8 p.m., Robert’s Westside will be hosting an afterparty. Scratch Public House will be hosting an afterparty that will be partnered with the drag queen performers. Both afterparties will allow attendees under 21 if a guardian is present.
“This is our first opportunity to do something outside of our space and I’m just excited for Forest Park to be hosting this event,” said Biggins. “I think it’s needed for our community.”
Biggins acknowledged that Forest Park is quick to practice inclusivity.
“The village has always, from my perspective, been one to include the LGBTQ+. I feel like we’re joining a community that’s already inclusive.”
He noted that “[his] stage is always welcome to everyone.” Biggins also said festival attendees should bring their own lawn chairs to ensure that there is enough seating for everyone. Chairs and tables will be limited.
Krumrei captured the event’s purpose in a nutshell.
“At the end of the day, it is about spreading awareness and recognizing that we are all human beings. The world would be a pretty miserable place if we all looked the same.”
