The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ People is celebrating Pride Month in June, including with the annual Pride Picnic June 11 at UIC.
Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City on June 28, 1969, when patrons at the Stonewall Inn and other bars fought back during police raids, at a time when such raids were common at LGBTQ+ bars. Transgender activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were at the forefront of the fight. The Stonewall Rebellion sparked national activism and is considered the catalyst for advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
Pride Month honors the diversity of LGBTQ+ people and provides opportunities for the community and allies to come together. Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community held its first annual Gay Liberation March on June 27, 1970. The annual march became known as the Pride Parade, encouraging people to fight homophobia and raising awareness of the issues and injustices facing the community.
The Chancellor’s Committee and the Gender and Sexuality Center will host this year’s Pride Picnic from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, on the lawn outside University Hall. This event will also celebrate 2025 graduates.
In addition to the picnic, some Pride events throughout Chicago include:
- Andersonville Midsommarfest: June 13-15
- Chicago Pride Fest: June 21-22
- Chicago Pride Parade: June 29
- Pride South Side: July 5
The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ People is the principal voice of LGBTQ+ people at UIC. Alongside the Gender and Sexuality Center, the committee offers spaces for LGBTQ+ people to support and lift each other up. The Chancellor’s Committee reports that the ACLU is currently tracking 575 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States. You can learn more at Lambda Legal or the Transgender Law Center.
UIC reinforces its commitment to greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals with the following resources:
- UIC Gender and Sexuality Center: The cultural center serves UIC’s LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff. Through the production, curation and preservation of intersectional LGBTQIA+ cultures, the center aims to inspire critical thinking, learning and action on campus and beyond.
- UIC Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People: Established in 1991, the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ People’s mission is to promote the academic, cultural, professional and social welfare of the LGBTQ+ community at UIC.
- All-gender restrooms
- UIC Bias Reporting Tool
- UI Health LGBTQ+ Inclusive Care
- Navigating Allyship