Crowds cheer along the route of the 2023 Chicago Pride Parade on the North Side. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Chicago Pride Parade attendees will see a slightly scaled-down version this year due to "safety and logistics concerns raised by the city," according to PRIDEChicago, which produces the historic event. The 53rd annual parade, which takes place on June 30, will limit its entries — including floats, marching bands and performers — to 125, organizers told the Sun-Times. Last year, the parade accepted 199 entries. The downsizing was first reported by the Windy City Times. Known ..read more

A wreath with a photo of Elise Malary in the center was displayed during Friday’s ceremony to designate part of Catalpa Avenue to honor Malary. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Elise Malary was an activist who had been called a pillar of Chicago’s trans and queer communities. But her loved ones remember her as a “bubbly” and “caring” woman with a contagious smile who started every conversation with, “hey girl.” Friday, on what would’ve been Malary’s 34th birthday, a section of Catalpa Avenue near Clark Street got the honorary designation of "Elise Malary Way," to recognize the trans rig ..read more

Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, speaks at a news conference Friday at the UIC Forum, site of a summit on trans rights. Cassidy called attention to some legislative victories on trans rights in Illinois, and also noted that Sunday is the International Trans Day of Visibility. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Leaders in the transgender community from across the country called for less restrictive social services funding for trans people in need at Chicago's first Transgender Health and Wellness summit Friday. The event, organized by the city health department and LGBTQ+ social services ..read more

Kristina Wynne at her office in Olympia Fields. Anthony Vazquez / Sun-Times Kristina Wynne became immersed in Chicago’s small business community as a 16-year-old working at her family’s Calumet Heights pharmacy, 200 Pharmacy. Wynne, 35, now runs her own company, The Wynners Club, which provides consulting to startups and early-stage businesses. But it’s in educating entrepreneurs that she’s found her passion. Last month, Wynne kicked off her fifth year running a yearly eight-week business boot camp for the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois. She started the program in 2019 with Jerom ..read more

Organizers on Tuesday announced the date of the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times file The Chicago Pride Parade has been set for the last Sunday of June, organizers announced. The 53rd annual Chicago Pride parade steps off at noon on June 30, when over 1 million people are expected to pack the parade route. The parade starts in the Uptown neighborhood, passes through Lake View and ends in Lincoln Park, according to parade organizer PRIDEChicago. More information can be found at pridechicago.org. Organizers also announced Tuesday that this year’s parade theme is ..read more

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday said the state is open to those seeking protections for IVF — and abortions. Zubaer Khan/Chicago Sun-Times Gov. J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly called Illinois a “safe haven” for those seeking abortions. Now he’s opening the door to those with concerns about in vitro fertilization access and protections — after the Alabama Supreme Court on Feb. 16 ruled that frozen embryos are children, and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. “People who live in other states who want to have children using IVF, come to Illinois,” Pritzker said at an ..read more

Dr. Robin Gay Provided Howard Brown Health, the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the Midwest, has named Dr. Robin Gay as its new interim president and CEO. Gay most recently served as the organization's chief dental officer and takes over the top role from President and CEO David Munar, who plans to step down at the end of the month, Howard Brown Health said in a statement. “Howard Brown has been a pillar of care for Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community for nearly 50 years," Gay said. "As we continue to define sustainability, access to affirming, high-quality care, and our institutional culture, I ..read more

St. Sabina parishioners Michael Thiry (left) and Nathaniel Washington have asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger to bless their marriage. “He’s important to us,” Washington said of Pfleger. “He is truly a man of God.” Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times When Pope Francis announced Monday that priests can now bless same-sex couples, it was difficult to say when the first blessings would happen. But the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church has already received a blessing request for a same-sex couple, and he plans to hold it early in the new year. “Why would it be too early? It should be a smoo ..read more

Rick Garcia, the founder of Equality Illinois, stands inside St. Peter’s Catholic Church in the Loop on Monday. Garcia said that it’s a “new day” after hearing news of Pope Francis formally approving allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times When Pope Francis announced he formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, Rick Garcia, a Chicago Catholic, was stunned. “When I started work with the gay community, I never expected this to happen,” he said. Garcia, who directed Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights in the 1980s and ..read more

Morgan Mesi (right) a 34-year-old transgender Chicago man, with attorney Caryn Lederer at a news conference announcing his lawsuit against his former employer Breakthru Beverage Illinois, which he says denied him gender-affirming care. Violet Miller / Sun-Times A transgender Chicago man has filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer and union, saying they denied him gender-affirming care. Morgan Mesi, a 34-year-old lifelong Chicago resident, said his former employer, Breakthru Beverage Illinois — a liquor distribution company formerly co-chaired by Rocky Wirtz, the former Chicago ..read more