The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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Village hosting special events as part of Pride Month celebration

June 15, 2023 – The Village of Oak Park is celebrating Pride Month throughout June and hosting two special events as part of its recognition of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (LGTBQ+) community.

Oak Park Pride Party

The entire community is invited to the Village of Oak Park Pride Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 on the south lawn at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The free, family-friendly event will feature rainbow ice cream, face painting, a bounce house, games, a DJ, a magician and more. All planning to attend are encouraged to come dressed to impress in their best rainbow-themed outfit.

Transgender Experience Panel

A panel discussion on the transgender experience in Oak Park is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28 at the Madison Street Theater, 1010 Madison St. The event is hosted by the Village in partnership with OPALGA, PFLAG and the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce.

The panel will be moderated by Darien Marion-Burton, Board President for the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce. Admission is free but space is limited - click here to RSVP

Progress Pride Flag

In addition to the special events, the Village is also marking the occasion of Pride Month by displaying the colors of the rainbow flag on the balcony above the main Village Hall entrance and along the ramp leading up to the Village Hall courtyard.

This year the Village has also embraced the evolution of the Pride flag to the Progress Pride flag that includes new colors and a new design that are meant to represent people of color, as well as people who are transgender, intersex or non-binary. The Progress Pride flag is proudly flown outside Village Hall and on display in the Council Chambers at Village Hall.

More About Pride Month

Pride Month celebrates the diversity and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, while also raising awareness for the community’s fight for equal rights.

The Village of Oak Park has a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ issues. In 1989, Oak Park’s Human Rights Ordinance was amended to bar employment and housing discrimination for gays and lesbians.

The Village secured domestic partnership benefits for Village employees in 1994. And in 1997, Oak Park established a Domestic Partnership Registry for same-sex couples, the first municipality in Illinois to do so.

Oak Park was also one of the first municipalities in the country to make diversity a matter of public policy by formally adopting a written statement that embodied the importance of openness and acceptance to quality of life in a community. Read the Village’s Diversity Statement at www.oak-park.us/diversitystatement.

Pride Month is held in June to honor the 1969 Stonewell Uprising in Manhattan, considered a turning point in the Gay Liberation Movement.

For more information about the Village of Oak Park’s Pride Month celebration, visit www.oak-park.us/pridemonth, email DEI@oak-park.us or call 708.358.5778.