Chicagoans gathered in Logan Square June 1 for the second annual raising of the Progress Pride flag in celebration of Pride Month.
The short gathering drew a crowd of LGBTQ+ community members and their allies alike and included speeches from queer Latino Ald. Anthony Quezada (35th Ward), Cook County 8th District commissioner Jessica Vasquez and longtime activist and Logan Square native Robert Castillo.
The LGBTQ+ community has faced significant political backlash nationwide so much of the conversation revolved around the need for people to keep fighting back against violence and oppression.
After opening the flag raising with chants in support of the LGBTQ+ community, Quezada spoke on how Pride is not only a parade and celebration, but something that began as a riot led by trans women of color.
He also mentioned how their fight against police violence and the “criminalization of queer existence” is unfortunately still a fight the community faces today. He urged the audience to keep resisting and pushing back against these attacks.
“Their courage lit a fire that has never gone out,” he said. “Today, with the threats of authoritarianism, of fascism, of corporate oligarchy by Trump and his friends, those threats exist today now more than ever.”
Near the end of his address, Quezada took a moment of silence to remember the trans people who have been victims of criminalization and violent attacks.
Vasquez highlighted her and Quezada’s work to create resources and policies protecting trans and queer folks in Chicago and across Cook County. One of the projects she mentioned was a trans femicide working group which compels the county and city to “get services and protection for our trans siblings.”
“Our trans siblings are being murdered, and there isn’t enough being done to protect them” she said. “There isn’t enough being done to bring justice.”
Castillo also spoke on the importance of supporting trans people, especially trans youth—mentioning that as an older LGBTQ+ person, he feels the older part of the community needs to do more to support the T in LGBTQ+.
He also brought a photo with him—one of him, his late husband John Pennycuff and two friends after being kicked out of a bar in Harwood Heights for dancing together. The group sued and ended up bringing one of the first cases under the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance to trial.
With the uncertain state of the LGBTQ+ community’s rights today, Castillo said he fears many of the protections he and others fought for, and some died for, will be rolled back.
“I don’t mean to start Pride like that, but I do want to remind folks where we’ve been, where we are now and what the future holds,” he said. “I believe in a bright future, but I really think we need to be serious about our rights and just keep fighting back.”