Category: East Central Illinois

Juneteenth highlights from Hanover Park to Carbondale // Bisexual Pride offerings // Expanded health care in Central Illinois (Community Briefs-Illinois, June 17)

Christine Hawes
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ILLINOIS — Juneteenth events are the top priority throughout Illinois this weekend, especially now that the federal goverment and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have declared June 19 official paid holiday, and the federal government also fast-tracked its -tracking a federal holiday designation, too, for the formal abolition of slavery. Carbondale, the Quad Cities and Springfield are among the communities with large Juneteenth recognitions this year, starting Friday and continuing through Sunday. In addition, the Black and Proud IV online comedy extravaganza Sunday showcases Black, queer performers from across the country…

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A weekend bursting with Pride in 11 Illinois cities (Community Briefs-Illinois, June 4)

Christine Hawes
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ILLINOIS — Pride Month takes off in earnest throughout Illinois this weekend, with at least 12 events taking place in 11 communities over the next three days. The Quad Cities, where Pride at Bass Street Landing takes place today and Saturday, are especially colorful this Pride Month, thanks to a growing collaboration of two cities there with the area’s LGBTQ community center, Clock Inc. After three years working with Rock Island for annual Pride Month flags downtown, Clock Inc began working with Moline this year, too. “We cannot express enough…

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Pride Season in Illinois: the definitive list of events

Christine Hawes
illinois pride events

ILLINOIS — Pride season festivals are returning in diverse form throughout Illinois this summer, with at least 51 online or in-person events hosted by an Illinois entity and another nine highlight online events from across the nation. Among the big developments this year: The Project of the Quad Cities has stepped forth to lead six Pride or LGBTQ-related events throughout June in Davenport and Moline. New fests are popping up in communities like Galena and Mt. Carmel, several Chicago-area events are back this year as the pandemic winds down, and…

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This weekend’s Springfield PrideFest kicks off 28+ LGBTQ events in May, June

Christine Hawes
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The annual summer tradition of LGBTQ Pride celebrations is gradually reawakening in Illinois and Iowa, with at least 28 virtual or socially-distanced LGBTQ Pride events coming up through May and June (see the Calendar). Springfield PrideFest in Illinois starts the season Saturday, converting its 10-year-old festival into an online affair for the second year in a row. A live drag show, interviews, musical performances, and prizes for kids, teens and adults are part of the day-long virtual event presented in collaboration with the University of Illinois-Springfield and the Phoenix Center,…

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