Equality Illinois’s new CEO, Channyn Lynne Parker, gave the keynote at the rights-advocacy’s 2026 annual gala the evening of Jan. 31, where she asserted that the event, which according to estimates hosted about 1,500 attendees, was “not just a gala—it is a sanctuary.”
Parker praised both Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, both of whom were in attendance that evening at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Both politicians, she said, made clear that “dignity is not conditional” in the state.
She added, “And yes—abolish ICE,” to loud applause. “Hands off our families. Hands off our cities. Hands off our state. Hands off our community.”
Parker, a longtime LGBTQ+-rights advocate who’d been active in several Chicago organizations, was tapped as Equality Illinois’s interim CEO in June, then named to the position permanently in August. She is the organization’s first transgender Black leader.
She emphasized throughout her speech the need to work as a collective in order to safeguard the rights of LGBTQ+ Illinoisans and other individuals living at the margins, even as right-wing elements continue to flex their political power: “This work is strictly by coalition [and] personal acts.”
Parker added, “I promise my work continues. … Conspiracy is being used as a strategy. Chaos is being sold as inevitable.”
She promised that her organization is up for the challenge, however.
“That is the reality that Equality Illinois is built to face,” Parker said, warning that giving in to outrage will surely lead to disillusionment in the the long run. “Our job is not to chase every headline, or over-react ourselves into exhaustion. Our job is to make sure nothing essential collapses.”
Parker’s speech followed a stern warning from Pritzker, who said the nation’s foundation principles are under attack from the federal government.
“We’ve seen it before in the early ‘30s, and now we’re seeing it in our American cities,” he said, suggesting that Chicago was a “test case” for ICE. “We’re seeing it all over again in Minneapolis.”
Pritzker nevertheless called the Equality Illinois gala one of his favorite events each year, adding, “I have so much respect for the work that you do.” He further paid tribute to the work of activist Rick Garcia, who passed away in January.
“Rick has left an indelible mark on this state,” Pritzker said. The evening also featured a moment of silence in Garcia’s memory.
Johnson congratulated Parker on her appointment, noting, “Her courage [and] her lived experience are what this moment demands.” He later emphasized the importance of Chicago being a safe harbor for Midwesterners and others marginalized by political oppression elsewhere.
“Together we will defeat the Trump agenda,” the mayor promised.
Johnson recently appointed Antonio King, a longtime city employee and LGBTQ+ health advocate, as the City’s Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs (King was in attendance as well). Johnson called the appointment proof that in Chicago, rights are “not an afterthought.”
Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th Ward) also invoked Garcia’s memory and further praised the work of Brian Johnson, Parker’s immediate predecessor at Equality Illinois. He warned that the “victories that [Brian Johnson] led us to are under attack” and that Illinoisans “must try to keep a united front.”
Besides Robinson, Mayor Johnson and Pritzker, dozens of current and former statewide politicians and officials attended to register their support for the LGBTQ+ community this election year. Among others, they included former House Majority Leader Greg Harris; Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch; State Senate President Don Harmon; and Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Also in attendance were Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; Illinois Lieutenant Governor (and U.S. Senate Candidate) Juliana Stratton; Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza; Cook County Assesor Fritz Kaegi; Chicago City Clerk Ana Valencia; former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot; former Illinois Human Rights Chair Mona Noriega; Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Mario Treto; Treasurer Mike Frerichs; Clerk of the Circuit Court Mariyana Spyropoulos; Evanston Mayor (and congressional candidate) Daniel Biss; Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Precious Davis; Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias; Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett; and Illinois State Comptroller Candidate Holly Kim.
Chicago City Council Members included Alds. Stephanie Coleman (16th), Jason Ervin (28th), Felix Cardona (31st), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Samantha Nugent (39th), Andre Vasquez (40th), Timmy Knudsen (43rd), Bennett Lawson (44th), Matt Martin (47th), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th) and Maria Hadden (50th).
State legislators included State Sens. Sara Feigenholtz, Mike Simmons, Adriane Johnson and Margaret DeLaRosa, as well as State Reps. Aarón Ortiz, Kelly Cassidy, Ann Williams, Justin Cochran, Anna Moeller, Matt Hanson and , as well as former State Rep. Yoni Pizer. Congressional legislators included U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley, Robin Kelly and Eric Sorensen.
Cook County Commissioners included Scott Britton, Bridget Gainer, Kevin Morrison (who is also vying for a congressional seat), Alma Anaya and Bill Lowry. Skokie School Board Rep. Elana Jacobs, Niles Township Supervisor Bonnie Kahn Ognisanti and Park District of Forest Park Commissioner Maria ‘Betty’ Alzamora were also among those in attendance.
Additional presenters and presenters included Harris (an Equality Illinois board member); Board Member Zahara Bassett; Board Chairs Kelly Emery and Justin Dejong; Brian Johnson; and Co-Founder Arthur Johnston.
Equality Illinois’s Freedom Award was presented by Jose ‘Che-Che’ Wilson (a candidate for the Cook County Board of Commissioners) and River Russell to Central Illinois LGBTQ+ activist Dave Bentlin. Gala Co-Chairs Heather Steans and Grant Gochnaeur presented the Organization Award to Lambda Legal.
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