
Pride plans from Bolingbrook, Elgin, Plainfield, Naperville and more; Green book exhibit, Elgin Juneteenth fest honor Black history
Northern Illinois is bursting with LGBTQ+ Pride events and more, including two great ways to honor Black history.
Check out Pride events this weekend and coming up in Bolingbrook, Elgin, Naperville, Plainfield, and Rockford.
Plus, explore an LGBTQ+ ‘gayming’ event in Shorewood, the upcoming Juneteenth Festival in Elgin, and a somber exhibit about The Green Book of the mid-20th century, at Skokie’s Holocaust Museum.
It’s all in the new TRM Northern Illinois & Chicagoland Weekly Update.

New Bolingbrook youth program helps fill growing mental health support needs of LGBTQ youth
The new Bolingbrook Pride LGBTQ youth program provides a monthly drop-in “safe space” for youth in Bolingbrook and Romeoville.
Allies and partners in the project include the Valley View School District, a University of Chicago professor, a suburban Chicago all-LGBTQ+ counseling service, and PFLAG Bolingbrook. Read about how this new drop-in program helps build on existing efforts in public schools and by other groups to help LGBTQ+ youth feel safe and accepted.

Black Alphabet Film Festival showcases Black LGBTQ+ Filmmakers with Chicago event, virtual option
For nine years, the Black Alphabet Film Festival has provided opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ and same-gender-loving (SGL) filmmakers to help share the experiences of their community. You can partake of this year’s event Saturday and Sunday either virtually, or in-person in Chicago.



Ranked choice voting interest grows nationwide and in Illinois, Iowa
Evanston, Berwyn, Cedar Rapids and the Iowa Green Party are among the Illinois and Iowa entities exploring ranked choice voting.



This year’s 4/20 events feature balance of leisure, arts and policy
Organized 4/20 holiday activities in Illinois and Iowa range from the leisurely, to food-filled markets, to arts events and policy-focused events.



Pride Season in Illinois and Iowa kicks off with April 21 Davenport event
Keep up with the latest news on Pride events throughout Illinois and Iowa, starting with these 22+ events.



Black Alphabet Film Festival showcases Black LGBTQ+ Filmmakers with Chicago event, virtual option
For nine years, the Black Alphabet Film Festival has provided opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ and same-gender-loving (SGL) filmmakers to help share the experiences of their community. You can partake of this year’s event Saturday and Sunday either virtually, or in-person in Chicago.



Ranked choice voting interest grows nationwide and in Illinois, Iowa
Evanston, Berwyn, Cedar Rapids and the Iowa Green Party are among the Illinois and Iowa entities exploring ranked choice voting.



This year’s 4/20 events feature balance of leisure, arts and policy
Organized 4/20 holiday activities in Illinois and Iowa range from the leisurely, to food-filled markets, to arts events and policy-focused events.



Pride Season in Illinois and Iowa kicks off with April 21 Davenport event
Keep up with the latest news on Pride events throughout Illinois and Iowa, starting with these 22+ events.