Mark Brandt, 26, and Wes Conkling, 30, got up at 7 a.m. to drive to Chicago from Aurora for Sunday’s Pride parade.
They sat in a corner waiting for the procession to begin, holding hands.
“I love the unity of everything,” Brandt said. “I come from a quite homophobic family, if I’m honest. I haven’t always been able to be open with myself and who I am.”
Brandt and Conkling said they are in a “trouple,” but the third member of their relationship was not. Conkling met Brandt’s boyfriend on Tinder, and the three have been together since February.
Conkling donned rainbow suspenders and had a rainbow flag painted on his cheek. He said he remembers what it was like 10 years ago and called the current attitude towards LGBTQ communities a “radical transformation”. As a recent transgender man, he said he appreciates Gen Z’s more open attitude toward trans people.
“As an older person, 27 or 28 years old, starting this process, it felt really good that there was this growing community to jump right into,” he said.
From Uptown to Lakeview, floats, trucks, golf carts, cars decked out in streamers and flags rolled down the street. People danced, played brass and drums, hoisted placards above their heads, did cartwheels and honked their horns as they marched.
“This is what pride looks like,” read one sign. “Curiosity over judgment,” read another.
At one point, it started pouring. The crowd and participants were unwavering, letting the rain fall. They cheered and dangled multicolored beads above their heads.
A man bounced a baby on his shoulders, who squealed happily and twirled around a mini-flag.
[ At first Pride Parade since 2019, abortion ruling is top of mind: ‘We’re still here and vibrant and just as colorful as usual’ ]
Laurie Hannigan, 60, of Oak Park, hasn’t been to the Chicago Pride parade in six years. He used to march with the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association, in a float made out of his truck.
“It feels great to be back,” Hannigan said. “I mean, I’m a little old to walk this far, but it’ll still be fun.”
Hannigan and her niece, Jocelyn Davidson, 26, of Elk Grove Village, were handing out Pedialyte to passersby during the parade. Davidson, who is bisexual, said she is feeling scared because of the recent political attacks on the LGBTQ community, which makes it even more important to celebrate Pride this year.
“Pride should be a happy, welcoming place,” Davidson said.
Advocates said the Pride celebrations are crucial at a time when political conversations about LGBTQ rights have become more hostile.
The city’s parade is the largest in the Midwest, and its history dates back to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a series of protests in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a bar gay The first Chicago Pride march was held on the one-year anniversary of the protests.
Parade coordinator Tim Frye said that in terms of participants, this year’s parade is the largest in recent memory.
It’s also different because of the past year of anti-LGBTQ legislation being introduced in many states across the country, which Frye said has caused some anxiety. But nearly every organization that participated last year returned to Sunday’s parade, along with new groups and organizations, he said.
“There was that feeling of anxiety, but (the returning participants) really wanted to go out and do it,” Frye said.
[ Advocates say Pride celebrations are even more important this year as attacks on the LGBTQ community intensify. ‘It’s terrifying.’ ]
It was the first Pride Parade for Maisy McDonough, 16, and Katie Bavirsha, 18. They both wore rainbow eye makeup and face paint in the car on their way to Chicago and said they were excited to see everyone’s outfits.
They were marching with Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Homer Glen. For Bavirsha, who said she is an ally of the LGBTQ community, Pride Month is a great time to celebrate the community.
“We’re going to see where we stand not only as people of faith, but as people coming together as individuals and coming together as people who are here to celebrate everyone’s differences,” Bavirsha said.
McDonough, who is bisexual, said she is excited to “stand together” after a tough year for the LGBT community.
“I think we really need the love of this parade,” McDonough said.
[ ‘He was a giant’: Chicago gay rights pioneer Richard Pfeiffer ran the city’s iconic Pride Parade for more than 40 years ]
Arshawna Brown, a 19-year-old from Georgia, said she met her best friend Shyann Moncrief when they were both 6 years old.
“He started playing with my hair in the middle of class and said, ‘We’re going to be best friends!'” Moncrief said.
Brown is now a hairdresser and the two are roommates in Rogers Park. They came with Brown’s family and set up a large speaker on the sidewalk to play music and dance with his sister and aunt. They wore fishnet stockings and large metal earrings with rainbow pieces: Brown in a butterfly rainbow bralette and Moncrief in a fluffy rainbow tutu.
Moncrief is a recent transplant to Chicago and said he came here mainly because he was drawn to the open environment. She calls herself a writer and said her favorite thing to write is “beautiful poetry.”
“My sister is really non-binary. I come from the South, where it’s a lot more conservative. You don’t see as many openly gay people,” he said. “The scene here today is amazing.”
The best friends said they are still on a learning journey. They were raised Christian and have enjoyed attending Pride events together and discussing them afterwards.”
Seeing people out there who are openly religious but still gay is very comforting. It’s really great to learn from this community and expand that knowledge,” Brown said.
William “Tripp” Kelley, 60, and Todd Armbruster, 65, wore matching rainbow jumpsuits and knee socks, smiling.
“We got these from my straight brother, who is more gay than I am!” Armbruster said.
He pulled down his pants to reveal matching Calvin Klein rainbow underwear, also his brother’s.
“What are you doing?” Kelley teased.
Kelley and Armbruster, who live in Edgewater, said they are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. They met at Touché, a gay leather bar in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
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“We come back every year on our anniversary,” Armbruster said, glancing at his partner.
Kelley is from Virginia Beach and Armbruster is from Houston. Kelley said he came here looking for a place where he could be comfortable the way he was.
“Chicago has always had that. Even today,” he said. “We have a beautiful house. We live in a beautiful neighborhood. We have beautiful friends.”
He said he sometimes gets nervous at events like this because bad things can happen, referring to the mass shooting in Highland Park nearly a year ago that left seven people dead and dozens more injured.
“We can’t let that scare us,” he said. “Don’t stop us. They were here.”
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