Organizers of the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade announced this year’s theme, “Free to Be Proud,” and named Windy City Times owner and cofounder Tracy Baim among the 2026 community grand marshals.
Baim will serve alongside fellow community grand marshals Evette Cardona and Mona Noriega, as well as the Alliance of Illinois Judges. The annual parade will step off on Sunday, June 28, continuing a more than five-decade tradition through Northalsted.
This year’s theme, “Free to Be Proud,” is intended to honor the legacy of LGBTQ+ activists and community members while underscoring the ongoing fight for visibility, safety and equality. Organizers said the theme reflects both the movement’s history and the present moment, when hard-won rights remain contested.
Organizers said the theme will serve as a call to reflection and action, inviting community members to share what “Free to Be Proud” means to them—from statements like “Free to Be Trans” to “Free to Be Seen” or “Free to Be Safe.”
“Free to Be Proud is intentional and declarative,” said Steve Long, board chair of PRIDEChicago, which organizes the annual parade. “Pride has never been just about celebration—it is about visibility, dignity, resilience and the right to exist safely and authentically. It is a reminder that no one is truly free until everyone is free to be.”
In a statement, parade organizers said the community grand marshals build on this message because they are “individuals and organizations whose leadership and service reflect the spirit and values of the 2026 theme of Free to Be Proud.”
Baim was recognized for her decades documenting LGBTQ+ life, politics and culture in Chicago and beyond. A journalist, historian and community leader, she is also executive director of Press Forward Chicago, a pooled fund supporting local journalism.
Over the course of her career, Baim has co-founded multiple LGBTQ+ organizations, authored and edited numerous books and been inducted into several journalism and LGBTQ+ halls of fame.
Cardona, a longtime philanthropic leader and community advocate, retired in 2025 from the Polk Bros. Foundation after a 27-year career, most recently serving as vice president of programs.
A Puerto Rican lesbian and Chicago native, she co-founded Women of All Colors and Cultures Together and Amigas Latinas, organizations created to support Latina lesbian, bisexual and questioning women. She also served as a founding board member of Center on Halsted and continues to work on initiatives advancing equity and opportunity across the city.
Noriega, a Chicago-born Chicana lesbian and mother of two, has spent her career advancing civil rights and LGBTQ+ protections. She previously opened and led the Midwest office of Lambda Legal and has held leadership roles with the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations and the Illinois Commission on Human Rights.
Under Noriega’s leadership, Chicago expanded anti-discrimination protections in its municipal code.
The Alliance of Illinois Judges was also named a community grand marshal in recognition of its work promoting fairness and inclusion within the judiciary. The statewide association represents sitting and retired LGBTQ+ judges and allies and is led by Jill Rose Quinn, Illinois’ first openly transgender judge.
Parade registration opens this Friday, March 6, and will remain available until all spaces are filled.