Mount Vernon strives for unity with first-ever official LGBTQ Pride event Saturday

May 25, 2023

MOUNT VERNON, IL — Alexia Stallons and her colleagues have been working to strengthen a sense of LGBTQ+ pride in Mount Vernon for two years. Saturday, they’ll invite the community to join them in a family-friendly picnic and celebration.

It’s the first official Pride gathering for this southern Illinois town of about 15,000. You’ll find about 50 vendors, games galore, music and more.

The event is coordinated by OUT Mt Vernon, which Stallons says is focused on creating more “outreach, understanding and togetherness.”

Pride walk/runs in Des Moines, Moline, Niles, Tuscola fill LGBTQ communities’ need for family-friendly, healthy activities

May 5, 2023

It’s time to start walking, running, and rolling for Pride, with at least five Pride-themed 5Ks coming up in the next six weeks across Illinois and Iowa.

They all start tomorrow with the Southern Illinois Pride K Fun Walk and Run. You can join in person or virtually.

More Pride walk and run events are also coming in Niles outside of Chicago June 3; Tuscola, Ill., and Des Moines, Ia., June 10; and Moline in the Quad Cities June 25.

Read about why these events are extra important to the LGBTQ community — and especially this year.

Walkers, runners, pageant contestants sought by Southern Illinois Pride group

Apr 23, 2023

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — It’s been four years since Southern Illinois chose its first-ever Pride Royalty. Blanche DuBois and Faim Lee Jewls have been volunteering as ambassadors for the art of drag, and for LGBTQ+ Pride, since then.

On May 13, that all changes. Drag veteran Jodie Santana is overseeing Southern Illinois’ first Pride Royalty Pageant in four years. To bring out more contestants, and to counter anti-drag sentiments that emerged over the past year in neighboring states, Pride in Action-Southern Il. is opening the pageant up to any competitors within a 150-mile radius. That includes Kentucky and Missouri.

Learn more about the Pageant, how to attend or get involved, and other pride efforts in southern Illinois.

Carbondale candidates turn out for LGBTQ forum, plus puppet-making, prom attire, three big Rainbow Cafe events, more

Mar 22, 2023

Six of seven Carbondale City Council candidates are slated to participate in tonight’s candidate forum on LGBTQ issues.

That’s the first of many progressive, LGBTQ affirming and intersectional events coming up in southern Illinois.

Learn in our Weekly Update about workshops for the upcoming All Species Puppet Parade, a youth prom closet by Alton Pride, and an important milestone for the SOIL Sisters.

Plus, Carbondale United wants you! The nonprofit is looking for a programming director; read about the position here.

And find all about the latest run of Rainbow Cafe special events coming March 31, April 2 and April 8. Read on!

Harrisburg restaurant, drag community, LGBTQ youth group weather religious furor spreading to library board elections

Mar 15, 2023

HARRISBURG, IL — First, a coalition of conservative Christian churches began attacking an LGBTQ youth group, calling it a recruitment tool to the “transsexual and homosexual lifestyle.”

Then, the coalition attacked the public library, and a moderate local church. Next up: drag performers and the gay-owned restaurant that started hosting them.

Now, two anti-LGBTQ candidates are running for the Harrisburg Public Library Board.