On the beautiful, brisk, sunny morning of Oct. 27, the City of Chicago recognized late longtime Chicago Pride Parade coordinator (from 1974-2019) and LGBTQ+ activist Richard Pfeiffer with an honorary street sign for Honorary Rich Pfeiffer Parade Way at the northwest corner of Belmont Avenue and North Halsted Street in the city’s landmark LGBTQ+ Northalsted neighborhood.
Pfeiffer died Oct. 6, 2019, just months after he led the Chicago Pride Parade that June, which had marked the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City. He started out as an attendee to Chicago’s first Pride Parade in 1970, was a volunteer marshal at subsequent parades, and volunteered to be the coordinator for the fifth parade in 1974, continuing in that role through the 2019 parade. Pfeiffer was also instrumental in the transformation of Chicago’s Pride Parade into one of the largest and most celebrated Pride Parades in the world, with approximately one million attendees.
Additionally, Pfeiffer was chosen by Mayor Harold Washington to be a founding member of the Chicago Committee on Gay/Lesbian Issues, and was later reappointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley to be on member of the Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues. Pfeiffer was also inducted into Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame in 1993.
The Oct. 27 ceremony took place just north of that intersection on Halsted St. to accommodate the speakers and honored guests—Pfeiffer’s husband of 48 years and PRIDEChicago Board Vice-Chair Tim Frye, who currently serves as the Chicago Pride Parade co-coordinator and board vice chair, and other family members: Joyce and Dave Latkowski, Lynn and Charlie Blum, Lisa Cooper, Ashley Cooper, John Radloff and Bill Prosecky and friends Alan Putz, William Greaves, Milta and Jorge Fuentes (longtime volunteers) and Jackie Richter. Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and Special Service Areas Executive Director Maureen Martino also attended.
Speakers included 44th Ward Ald. Bennett Lawson, Chicago Pride Parade Co-Coordinator and PRIDEChicago Board Chair Steve Long, Chicago Pride Parade Co-Coordinator and PRIDEChicago Board Treasure Ron Thomas, WXRT-FM radio host and former ABC-7 Chicago Pride Parade co-host Terri Hemmert, Pfeiffer’s friend and Chicago Pride Parade volunteer Jimmy Stephen, Sidetrack Co-Owner and Equality Illinois Co-Founder Art Johnston and Chicago Gay Alliance Co-Founder and longtime LGBTQ+ activist Gary Chichester.
“I had the good fortune of meeting Rich when I started to worked for [my predecessor] Tom Tunney in 2004,” said Lawson. “It was a time when our parade was going through a lot of changes. It was getting really popular.”
Lawson called Pfeiffer a “trailblazer,” and spoke about how important it is for the Pride Parade to highlight Chicago’s significance within the nationwide LGBTQ+ community. He added that it is important to have this honorary street sign for Pfeiffer to further tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people in as many ways as possible and that includes the Legacy Walk that dots the streetscape on Halsted St. from Belmont Avenue to just past the Center on Halsted.
“I stand on the shoulders of Rich and so many others who have given our community the opportunity and platform we have today to be everywhere, to express ourselves everywhere, to love who we love, to have the families that look like what we want them to and to be honored this way,” said Lawson.
Long reminded everyone that October is LGBTQ+ History Month and called Pfeiffer an impactful person in his own right when it comes to queer historical figures. He spoke about PRIDEChicago’s new status as a non-profit entity “to safeguard the tradition of the annual parade and honor the legacy of Richard for generations to come.” Long recognized his fellow PRIDEChicago board members including PRIDEChicago Board Secretary Daniel Ortiz and PRIDEChicago Community Engagement Director Terra Campbell.
Long added that Pfeiffer witnessing Chicago’s first Pride Parade in 1970 saved Pfeiffer’s life, bringing him out from the funk of the closet and allowing him to grow as a person.
“The Chicago Pride Parade is a success, a beacon of hope and resilience for so many, because Richard understood the community and its diversity,” said Long.
Thomas spoke about Pfeiffer as a historical figure and pioneer, as well as the early years of the parade where slurs were hurled at the participants and eggs were thrown. Pfeiffer received numerous threats by phone as well. Thomas added, “We need to remember the people who brought us to this point. we need to celebrate and we need to continue to march forward.”
Hemmert said that she and former Pride Parade co-host Janet Davies always looked forward to Pfeiffer’s appearance on parade broadcasts the most—not the celebrities—because “he was the heart and soul of this parade … and so unassuming, quiet and centered. His vibe made our parade very special because Richard welcomed everybody.” She added that she was proud to be a part of the parade for all those years, and celebrated the diversity of the participants and attendees.
Stephen (who spearheaded this honorary sign in 2019) shared how he got involved with the parade and said Pfeiffer “really got some chutzpah to go ahead and start something like this.” He recalled the meetings they had to plan each year’s parade and how grateful he is for former Illinois state Sen. Carol Ronen and former Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Rocco Claps (both in attendance) as well as Equality Illinois Co-Founder Rick Garcia and others for their assistance in procuring this sign for Pfeiffer.
Johnston said there were about as many people at this event as there were at Chicago’s first Pride Parade, and said the growth of the parade over the years “is an amazing tribute to Richard.” He further congratulated Frye and the rest of the people who have carried this parade forward since Pfeiffer’s death.
Chichester (who was an instrumental organizer of Chicago’s first Pride Parade, then called a march, in 1970) noted that “Chicago has a really vibrant history as far as LGBT rights and activism.” He said the honorary street sign should have also acknowledged Frye’s contribution to the parade’s success over the decades. Chichester said the Pride Parade is his favorite LGBTQ+ event in the city. He reminded attendees that next June there will be an historical plaque dedication ceremony at Bughouse Square (Washington Park) to mark the location of that first Pride March in 1970.
After the remarks, the speakers and honored guests were invited to the intersection to participate in the street sign unveiling ceremony.
A reception followed the ceremony at Drew’s on Halsted.
The Chicago Pride Parade is set to return Sunday, June 29, 2025, at 11 a.m.
