How local Pride events have adapted due to COVID-19
Many Pride Month celebrations in Chicago and the suburbs have been canceled because of coronavirus, but others have shifted online or been adapted to safely observe social distancing.
"We didn't want to just let June 6 go by without some way of celebrating Pride," said DR Smith, organizer of Celebrate Highwood's North Shore Pride Fest. "We're trying to mark the day even though we all can't be together in large groups."
Pride events in 2020 mark the 50th anniversary of the first commemorations of New York's Stonewall Riots in 1969. The riots are often cited as the start of the modern equal rights movements for people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Here's a partial list of virtual or adapted Pride Month events:
• Virtual North Shore Pride Fest: Celebrate Highwood sponsors this event from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday. There is a donation-admission virtual dance party via Zoom with DJ Versage to benefit Haven Youth and Family Services at 7 p.m. Various businesses are also offering Pride specials for curbside pickup. More information is at celebratehighwood.org.
• Buffalo Grove Pride Drive: Residential lawns are decorated with pride decor, plus art pieces by Balloons by Tommy, from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday in place of the parade. For information on routes, Vernon Township food donations and more, go to pintaprideproject.com/pridedrive.
• "Can't Stop Our Pride!": Equality Illinois presents a ticketed virtual pride event from noon to 5 p.m. June 20. Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is slated to appear alongside elected leaders, performers, chefs, activists and others. More information is at equalityillinois.us.
• Virtual Chicago Pride Fest: The Northalsted Business Alliance presents a livestreaming Twitch event from 7 to 9 p.m. June 20 and 21. It will feature entertainment and activism. More information is at northalsted.com/pridefest.
• Archival Pride Parades: The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives is in the process of digitizing and uploading donated video recordings of past Chicago Pride Parades. Visit gerberhart.org.