May 11th 2024.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration announced on Friday that there would be changes to next month's Chicago Pride Parade, allowing for more groups to participate. However, this compromise has left some members of the LGBTQ+ community feeling frustrated and calling for the progressive mayor to involve them in future decisions regarding the event.
This year's Pride Parade, taking place on June 30th, will have a limit of 150 groups, the smallest number in recent years, and will start an hour earlier. This is an increase from the city's initial proposal of only 125 groups. The compromise was reached through a joint statement from the city, its advisory council on LGBTQ+ issues, and parade organizers. However, the advisory council released their own statement expressing disappointment at not being consulted about the reduction in entries and the shortening of the route.
Some members of the LGBTQ+ community believe that the downsizing of the parade is part of the city's plan to help with staffing levels for police and ensure safety in the North Side neighborhoods where the parade takes place. In previous years, there have been incidents of crime and violence in and around the Lakeview neighborhood following the celebrations.
The mayor's office stated that the decision to reduce the size of the parade was made in collaboration with various groups, including the Mayor's Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs. They explained that this was to create a sustainable and accessible parade route and to efficiently allocate resources. However, the advisory council stated that they were not involved in these discussions and only learned about the city's plans through a public letter.
Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, one of Chicago's largest LGBTQ+ groups, expressed disappointment with the city's decision, especially at a time when the community feels under political attack. He stated that this will be the fewest number of floats in decades and that cutting back on such a significant event is not the right move.
Jin-Soo Huh, the head of the Mayor's Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs, added that the community was not included in the initial discussions about changes to the parade. It was only after they raised their concerns in a public letter that the city began engaging in discussions with them. As there was limited time before the parade, the advisory council and parade organizers agreed to the compromise of 150 entries, a 25% decrease from last year.
Aside from the limit on the number of groups, there are also changes to the parade's start time and location. It will now begin at 11 a.m. instead of noon, and the starting point will be at Sheridan Road and Broadway instead of Montrose Avenue and Broadway in Uptown. These changes were made to allow for better access for safety vehicles and traffic and to provide more opportunities for spectators to view the parade.
While the organizers are less concerned about the changes to the time and route, they wish they had been included in the decision-making process. Huh emphasized that Pride is not just a parade for the LGBTQ+ community, but a celebration of their community and standing up against suppression. They hope that for next year's parade, the mayor's office will involve the advisory council earlier in the planning process.
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