Every June the LGBTQ+ pride celebration captivates Chicago, surging energy, passion, rainbow colors, and community throughout the city.
Friends, neighbors, and individuals of all genders, sexes, races, and ethnicities unite in celebration of the milestones won and the progress gained.
Month long festivities, including street fairs, fun runs, marches, festivals, and park celebrations take place all around the city, spreading awareness and acceptance of our LGBTQ+ community.
This June, all the celebrations lead up to the final, and arguably, greatest experience—Chicago’s 2019 Pride Parade.
Yet, beyond the festivities, June is a reminder that progress is possible with persistence and grace…
Excitingly, this June’s Pride festivities are heightened with paralleled and shared progress on a different stage—at the Women’s 2019 FIFA World Cup.
The US National Women’s Soccer Team (WNT) has risen to compete in more than one fierce battle this year—displaying persistence and grace both on and off the field.
This June, WNT fight’s not only for the 2019 World Cup title, but also for equal pay, gender equality, and acceptance—in great unity with Pride.
Fighting for equal pay, the WNT sends a strong message that they will not let their gender identity, as female athletes, limit or exclude. No matter sex, gender, race, ethnicity— or professional athlete— WNT believes that we are all equally human and deserve to be treated as such.
Standing as LGBTQ+ allies, WNT’s soccer stars, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris, brave the 2019 World Cup publicly as fiancées. By opening up to the public and announcing their engagement, they hope to encourage younger generations to be their “authentic selves” and to feel more comfortable talking about same-sex relationships.
It’s quite clear. The same energy, passion, and sense of community seen across Chicago’s Pride festivities this month, is shared by the Women’s National Team, as they too take a strong stance, on the World’s stage, for equality and for progress.
Their performances on the pitch represent not only a commitment to take pride in our nation—but pride in where our nation can go—a better future that can be won if we persevere for the things that truly matter.
So— this Pride month, reflect on all the progress surrounding you. The communities, passions, energies, and goals that you are a part of daily— no matter how big or how small. Take Pride.
Be mindful. Be persistent, yet graceful. Be open to PRIDE in all forms.