Jake Wittich

Sevend Days in June organizers will hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Keith Haring sculpture at the AIDS Garden Chicago to honor those lost because of health care inequities. File photo by Carrie Maxwell

For many LGBTQ+ midwesterners, a first trip to the Dunes Resort in Western Michigan is a rite of passage—an introduction to the kind of freedom, self-expression and togetherness that generations of LGBTQ+ people have found there for decades. “You get out of your car here, and you forget your issues [or] prejudices,” said Mike Jones, co-owner of the Dunes. “You […]

Pride Month in Illinois means multiple parades, parties and other celebrations of LGBTQ+ visibility and hard-won progress. But amid this year’s festivities is a growing sense of political urgency that harkens back to Pride’s protest roots. This year’s Pride Month arrives at a moment of intensifying attacks on LGBTQ+ rights nationwide. And while Illinois has […]

A person raises a fist wrapped in a rainbow Pride flag bandana. Stock photo via Pexels

Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community is celebrating Pride Month with dozens of events across the city—from major street festivals and the flagship parade to parties, sports gatherings, advocacy events and educational programs. Below is Windy City Times’ curated roundup of 50 LGBTQ+ Pride Month events happening across Chicago, organized by theme. Jump to a section: Please note: […]

Across the Chicago suburbs and beyond, LGBTQ+ organizations, municipalities and community groups are preparing dozens of Pride celebrations—from parades and street festivals to family picnics, drag shows, concerts and community gatherings. While many Pride events take place in June, suburban and regional celebrations across Illinois and Northwest Indiana continue throughout the summer and into the fall. Below is Windy […]

Pride Month is in full swing, which means dozens of events are happening all across the city to celebrate Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. The first week of Pride alone has everything from parties and art galleries to LGBTQ+ justice panels, sports gatherings and a candlelight vigil marking 45 years since the HIV epidemic began. To help […]

Local elected officials continued their annual Pride Month tradition of raising a Progress Pride Flag over Daley Plaza, using this year’s ceremony to warn that decades of progress on LGBTQ+ rights are under threat amid growing political attacks. Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who hosted the ceremony, said the Progress Pride Flag serves as a […]

Logan Square neighbors and LGBTQ+ people from across the city raised a Progress Pride Flag over the Northwest Side neighborhood on June 1 in a jovial Pride Month kickoff that included drag, rainbow cupcakes and dance music. The tradition—now in its third year—served as a reminder that queer communities exist in every Chicago neighborhood and not just […]

Howard Brown Health CEO Travis Gayles, MD, said proposed federal health funding cuts could undermine healthcare access, HIV prevention efforts and other services that many LGBTQ+ Chicagoans rely on. Gayles said healthcare providers are operating under “uncertainty, confusion and chaos” as federal funding decisions create new challenges for organizations serving vulnerable communities. Despite these pressures, […]