Love on display at Buffalo Grove Pride Parade
The Buffalo Grove Pride Parade provided a chance for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to celebrate love in all the colors of the rainbow Sunday.
Among the revelers was Hunter Paisley of Fox Lake, a 15-year-old student at Grant Community High School, whose face was painted with what's known as the pansexual flag.
"You just like people. You don't really care what gender or sexuality they really have. You just like people for people," he said of the flag's meaning.
Paisley said that while there's generally more acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, he's also seen examples of hate.
"Teens are becoming more and more uncomfortable in public being able to show pride in themselves," he said.
That wasn't the case Sunday, though, as more than 100 brightly colored and festive entries, with an estimated 1,000 marchers, took part in the parade down Checker Drive.
"I think it's just a really fun way for everyone to get together and support each other and show their pride," said Caitrin Myers, a 17-year-old student at Grant. "I'm glad so many towns do this."
Thirteen-year-old Ezra Guerrero, a student at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, was explaining the significance of the colors to her grandmother, Andi Nadulek.
"It's really good that people are being educated on this, especially people who weren't educated in past years or when they were younger," Ezra said.
"I think it's wonderful. I'm a little confused as to all the different identities, but I'm learning a lot," added Nadulek, of Buffalo Grove. "And I think it's good that everybody is treated equally and fairly. And no one person is better than another just because of what they believe in."
As for her grandchild, she said, "I love them," being careful to use the correct pronoun. "I'm having a hard time with the they/thems, but I love them the same."
Deerfield resident Shayna Adelman said she attended with her daughter, Annabel, to support the community.
"I think it's important to make her aware that love is love."
The parade was followed by a Pride Picnic hosted by the Buffalo Grove Park District.