ILLINOIS — Pride Month takes off in earnest throughout Illinois this weekend, with at least 12 events taking place in 11 communities over the next three days.
The Quad Cities, where Pride at Bass Street Landing takes place today and Saturday, are especially colorful this Pride Month, thanks to a growing collaboration of two cities there with the area’s LGBTQ community center, Clock Inc. After three years working with Rock Island for annual Pride Month flags downtown, Clock Inc began working with Moline this year, too. “We cannot express enough how excited we are that we have officially established a new partnership with the City of Moline and for the first time ever, Moline now publicly displays Pride Flags in downtown Moline in honor of Pride month,” says Chase Norris, Clock Inc. founder. “Clock, Inc could not have been more excited to donate all of the flags that are displayed in both Rock Island and Moline!”
Clock Inc.,, which formed in 2019, is also involved in several Pride events this season, including a drag workshop Saturday (June 5) in conjunction with Pride at Bass Street Landing, and a yoga program June 13. The Bass Street Landing event that starts tonight (Friday) is presented by The Project of the Quad Cities, newly providing comprehensive LGBTQ health care to 19 Iowa counties and 22 Illinois counties and includes a “family day” component Saturday daytime, with drag and live music in the evenings.
Illinois communities holding Pride events this weekend include Belleville, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, Champaign, Chicago, Davenport, Moline, Palatine, Rock Island, Rockford and Waukegan. Use the Pride in Illinois link to find a full, ever-changing list of Pride Season events in Illinois. For more Community Briefs in Illinois, read on:
CHAMPAIGN — A group of transgender University of Illinois students spoke out against being “dead-named” after their legal names, rather than chosen names were, were used by the university in online commencement ceremonies. Though the error was corrected in a second online broadcast, several students cited the situation as an example of overall insensitivity to LGBTQ students, reports the Illinois Eagle in a story about the May protest.
CHAMPAIGN — The UP Center of Champaign County is putting together LGBTQ-affirming networks of healthcare providers, faith communities, businesses and jobs in central Illinois. Please share your information with Darya at darya@unitingpride.org or reach out to them for more information.
CHICAGO — The massive Pride events for which Chicago has become known over the decades are coming back after the pandemic, slowly but surely. Here’s a rundown of the new plans for many of Chicago’s annual Pride events: Four Black Queer Pride events are taking place from June 11-13. Chicago Urban Pride happens June 25-27. The Chicago Pride Bowl is back June 25-26. Navy Pier Pride is June 26; Pride Without Prejudice March and the cannabis-infused Higher Love Pride Tea Dance happen June 27. Pride in the Park is coming June 26-27. Northalsted Market Days has been moved this year to Aug. 6-7; and the Chicago Pride Fest is Oct. 1-3, with the big parade Oct. 3.
PEORIA — The city’s main bridge, Murray Baker Bridge, will be decked out in Pride rainbow lights June 26 through a collaboration with Peoria Proud, the local PrideFest organization. The bridge display will be timed to coincide with Peoria’s annual Pride event, the River City Pride Festival. Peoria is also hosting numerous other Pride Month events.
QUAD CITIES — Join a special brunch benefit Sunday — or even just donate — to the Michelle Nixon Scholarship Fund, an event co-hosted by Quad Cities Pride Festivals. Nixon, who passed away earlier this year, was a member of Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities, a volunteer with Quad Cities Pride Festivals, and recipient of the first-ever Queen of Hearts in 2020 for her dedication and service to the LGBTQ community. The brunch starts at 11 a.m. at Mary’s on 2nd, 832 W. 2nd St., Davenport. Watch the bar’s Facebook page for details on giving, joining the raffle either in person or from afar, and more.
(cover photo features rainbow flags in downtown Moline and Rock Island, courtesy of Clock Inc. LGBTQ Community Center)
(last updated: 3 am June 5)
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