The 2024 Chicago Pride Parade, set to take over the city on June 30 starting around 11am, has become the subject of some city-specific drama.
Just yesterday, officials with the Chicago Police Department presented a proposal that would shorten the festival's route in order to reduce the number of police officers needed on site by about 48 posts.
“We were obviously not thrilled to hear that,” Jin-Soo Huh, chair of the mayor’s LGBTQ+ advisory council, said to Block Club Chicago. “Even though it is only a proposal, our message is that this is a proposal that should have been done in consultation with the community. We’re still calling on the Mayor’s Office to restore the Pride Parade [to its past form].”
The new developments follow an April announcement regarding other changes that will define this year's parade, including a cap on entries. As reported by Block Club Chicago last month, the 2024 festival will include around 125 bands, floats and groups, down about 37% from last year's total of 199.
Given the smaller size of the event, organizers will obviously have to be more selective when it comes to participants. As of now, officials have announced that all those who were part of the parade last year can return. New LGBTQ+-adjacent businesses and groups will be prioritized as entries, although all spots are currently filled. Those interested can add themselves to a wait list by emailing info@pridechicago.org.
Although all accepted and proposed changes seem to be directly related to organizational and security-related concerns, the potential adjustments have obviously caused a bit of a flair up across local circles.
That should as no surprise: After all, the first ever Chicago Pride Parade was held over fifty years ago, on June 27, 1970, just one year after the Stonewall riots in New York City. As explained on the Chicago Pride official website, the first iteration of the event only included 150 to 200 participants, "more of a protest than a parade." Clearly, things have changed for the better since then. Here's to hoping that the annual event will continue to grow while staying safe.