Pride 2025: We’re Still Here and We’re Not Going Anywhere

A message from Allaina Humphreys, Chair of Bolingbrook Pride

It’s June again, and that means it’s time to celebrate Pride - but it also means we need to tell the truth.

This year, the stakes feel higher than ever. Across the country, trans people are facing targeted attacks on their rights, safety, and basic dignity. From bathroom bans to book bans, healthcare restrictions to drag show legislation, it’s clear: the LGBTQ+ community - and especially our trans siblings - are under fire.

And yet, in the face of that, we keep showing up.

As Chair of Bolingbrook Pride, I’m constantly in awe of the love, resilience, and sheer joy this community holds. Every year, I see more people come out - whether they’re 15 or 55 - and I watch them step into who they are with courage. I see families choosing to stand up, speak out, and grow together. I see allies learning, unlearning, and committing to do better.

I see chosen families forming, kids smiling, and elders reminding us that joy is resistance.

For those just starting to come out: welcome. This community is for you. You don’t need to have all the answers, and you don’t have to show up a certain way to belong. You already do.

For those who are out and exhausted: I see you. Rest when you need to. But know that your presence, you existing as your full, authentic self, is already doing more than you think. You’ve likely been someone’s first glimpse of what it looks like to live freely. That matters more than words can say.

For our trans siblings: you are not a political issue. You are not a debate. You are real, loved, needed, and sacred. Your joy is resistance. Your laughter, your safety, your thriving... we will keep fighting for it. And we will never stop showing up beside you.

And to those who can’t come out: whether because it’s not safe, not time, or not possible - this is your Pride Month too. You are still part of this community. We see your courage, even if it’s quiet. Whether you’re celebrating silently, watching from the sidelines, or just trying to survive in a world that hasn’t made space for you yet, you belong here. You don’t owe anyone your story, and your safety matters more than visibility. Pride started as a movement for freedom, and that includes the freedom to be exactly where you are.

How to Stay Safe and Still Celebrate

We all deserve to celebrate without fear, but we also know the climate we’re living in. If you’re attending Pride events this month, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

• Go with a buddy or group - there is safety in numbers, and it's more fun too.

• Know your exits and be aware of your surroundings, just like any large gathering.

• Protect your privacy online, especially if you’re not out in all areas of your life.

• Carry what you need: medications, water, ID, sunscreen, a phone charger, etc.

• Trust your gut - if a space doesn’t feel right, you’re allowed to leave.

• Have a plan - choose a meetup spot if you get separated from friends.

• Report threats or harassment - and document if it’s safe to do so.

We are also in communication with local officials and police to ensure public safety remains a top priority at any events we host or attend. Your safety matters to us - always. Check out this guide from Safe Space Alliance! safespacealliance.com/resources

Pride Is Protest. Pride Is Play. Pride Is Power.

We’re not going back in the closet. We’re not shrinking ourselves to make others more comfortable. We’re not waiting for permission to exist. We are here, we are queer, and we are still building a better, more loving world; one that makes room for all of us.

This Pride Month, I invite you to take up space. To speak up. To dance. To love louder. To be unapologetically yourself. And to find joy, even when the world makes it hard, because that is how we keep going.

From all of us at Bolingbrook Pride: Thank you for being here. Thank you for being you.

Happy Pride.

With love,

Allaina Humphreys, she/her

Chair, Bolingbrook Pride

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suburban Pride Events to Check Out

There are more Pride events in the suburbs than ever before and they are growing in size, reach, and impact. Here's the current list so you can find the ones you'd love to attend:

June 6

• Highwood Pride

• Pride Metal Fest (June 6–7)

• Quad Cities Pride Festival (June 6–8)

June 7

• Aurora: Pride at the Plaza

• Danville Pride Fest

• Des Plaines Community Pride Celebration

• Downers Grove Pride Fest

• Elgin Pride Parade

• Logan County Pride Fest

• Out in the 'Burbs – Oak Park (June 7–8)

June 8

• NWI Pride

• Aurora Pride

• Interfaith Family Pride Festival

• SW Pride

• Kankakee Area Pride

• Grayslake Pride Parade

June 13–14

• Vandalia Love is Love Pride Party

June 13–15

• Andersonville Midsommarfest

June 14

• Bloomington-Normal Mobile Pride Parade

• Dixon Pride

• Lake County (IL) Pride Fest

• Michigan City Pride Fest

• Pride Fest Oak Park

• Wheaton Pride

• Ottawa Family Pride Festival (June 14–15)

June 19

• Carol Stream Pride Night Concert

• Peoria River City Pride Festival

June 21

• DeKalb Pride Fest

• Elmhurst Family Pride Fest

• Hawthorne Pride – Vernon Hills

• Macomb Pride Picnic

• Miles Pride

• Skokie Pride

• Southside Family Pride

• Whiting Pride

• Chicago Pride Fest (June 21–22)

June 22

• Prairie Pride Coalition Picnic

June 28

• Elk Grove Village Pride

• Pride at Navy Pier

June 29

• Chicago Pride Parade

July 3–6

• Chicago Black Pride

July 5

• Pride Southside

July 12

• Pride in the Park – Wheeler Park, Geneva

July 26

• Evanston Pride Community Picnic

August 8–9

• North Halsted Market Days

September 6 (Tentative)

• Bolingbrook Pride: Picnic & Puppies

September 13

• Decatur Pride Fest

• Naper Pride Fest

September 20

• Joliet Pride

October 4

• Metro East Pride Fest

October 12

• Plainfield Pride