Windy City Black LGBT Pride, Inc. will host thousands of African American lesbians and gays over the Fourth of July holiday during United in Pride. United in Pride is the organization’s annual celebration of gay pride, which is geared toward bridging the gap between mainstream gay life and African American gay life.
The celebration is one of a large network of African American gay pride celebrations that take place nationwide. United in Pride is the second-largest ethnic gay pride celebration with attendance reaching close to 10,000 people. See www.windycitypride.org.
The Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr., returns for the third consecutive time as the host hotel for the event. Several events including a huge, free kickoff party and a performance by Rochelle Flemming are at the hotel. Flemming will perform at a luncheon held Saturday, July 5. Flemming is widely known for being a member of First Choice, a Philadelphia based disco band. In the late ’70s and early ’80s Flemming and the band released the gay standard ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ on Salsoul Records. Grammy-nominated Steve Hurley produced the record.
Talent is already lined up for the organization’s annual poetry slam sponsored by Northern Trust, which also happens at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. This year the poetry slam will take place on the Fourth of July. It is usually one of the weekend’s most attended events. It’s general admission, so arrive early to get a seat. The community will provide the talent and Northern Trust will provide the prizes.
The weekend culminates on July 6 with a huge outdoor festival at Rainbow Beach. Last year’s festival drew more than 7,000 people. The festival features vendors, food, and entertainment. It’s also a great place to connect with health service professionals to get testing and information.
Major sponsors for United in Pride include Windy City Media Group, Harris Bank, The Steamworks Gym/Men’s Sauna, Sidetrack, Northern Trust, and ChocolateCityUSA.com.