Gay Pride
June is National Gay & Lesbian Pride Month, and the GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning) community here in Chicago has their fun and colorful celebration this weekend.
Located at Halsted St and Waveland Ave (where you’ll also find the Kit Kat Lounge), the 5th Annual Pride Fest takes place on Saturday, June 23, the day before the Parade. Festive and exuberant, Pride Fest is a non-stop party held in the Boystown streets on the north side of the city. Food, arts & crafts, clothing, jewelry, and a good helping of drag queens and leather harnesses, this neighborhood festival is like none other. You’ll definitely get the feeling that you’re “not in Kansas anymore.” Two stages provide entertainment from performers in the gay and lesbian local community as well as top-name national acts. Don’t miss the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus or, my favorite, the R.O.T.C. (Righeously Outrageous Twirling Corps). This year’s musical headliner is Kathy Sledge, one of the members of the popular Sister Sledge! Whatever your orientation, you’re bound to have a great time.
The 38th Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade is one of the city’s largest parades, attracting hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life. Get there early on Sunday to get the best people-watching spot! The parade begins at 12 noon at Halsted St and Belmont Ave and walks, skates, and dances north along Halsted to Broadway, where it turns almost completely around to go south on Broadway St, then east on Diversey Pkwy to Cannon Dr. Expect to see lots of politicians, creative floats, and John Amaechi, the first (former) NBA player to come Out as gay and this year’s grand marshal. One year, my friends and I watched the parade while dancing to the music a deejay was spinning outside a bar along the route. It was a blast!
Pride Fest ($5 donation): 3700 N Halsted St; 773-868-3010
June 23: 11:00 a.m - 9:00 p.m.
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 8, 36, 152 or Red Line train (Addison)
http://www.chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=142
Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (free): 3200 N Halsted St; 773-348-8243
June 24: 12 noon
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 8, 22, 77 or Brown/Purple/Red Line train (Belmont)
http://www.chicagopridecalendar.org/
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POSTED IN: Entertainment, Events, Gay & Lesbian
1 opinion for Gay Pride
Gay Nightlife
Jun 22, 2007 at 12:03 pm
[…] honor of the gay pride events going on this weekend, here’s a rundown of just a few of the popular hangouts in the Boystown […]
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