Chicago Pride Parade. (Gotta Be Worth It / pexels)
Following pushback about the size of this year’s upcoming Chicago Pride Parade, city officials and event organizers announced Friday that additional participants will be allowed to take part, though it will still be smaller than last year’s event.
Pride Parade supporters had reportedly called on Mayor Brandon Johnson to rescind plans to cut the number of parade entries down from nearly 200 last year to 125 this year due to safety and logistical concerns.
On Friday, the mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs issued a joint statement with parade organizers indicating there would be 150 entries available this year. They also announced the parade would begin at 11 a.m. June 30, an hour earlier than in previous years.
“This collective endeavor reflects our shared commitment to fostering community engagement while ensuring an efficient allocation of resources,” the parties wrote in a statement Friday. “By prioritizing accessibility and sustainability, we aim to create an inclusive and vibrant celebration that enriches the fabric of our city while minimizing logistical strains.”
The Windy City Times reported last month that several members of that advisory council had called for size restrictions on the parade to be lifted, saying community groups had not been consulted on the change.
“The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have made great strides to advance the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ people,” members of the advisory council wrote in an open letter April 30. “We urge the City of Chicago to work towards having the largest, most visible, and most powerful Pride Parade in the country especially at a time when LGBTQ+ communities, and in particular trans youth, are facing unprecedented and life threatening attacks.”
The parade will begin at Sheridan and Broadway, which the city said would allow major arterial and side streets to be open for safety vehicles and traffic access, and to provide additional opportunities for spectators to flow to the east side of the route. Previous plans had the parade beginning at Broadway and Montrose.
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