This Pride Month, we not only remain steadfast in our commitment to providing quality sexual, reproductive, and transition care, but we want to remind people across the country that queer people are far more than who they love or how they live. Howard Brown serves the bodies, hearts, and minds of the LGBTQ+ community every day. Because serving our community with pleasure is the best way we know to build a better, more equitable future for all.
Community Events
In the past year, the LGBTQ+ community has seen increasing attacks on our rights, our spaces, and our events. As such, we recommend that you read this Guidance on Protecting Pride Events from Armed Extremist Activity document before attending any major Pride events.
Hyde Park Art Center Pride Fest
Pride Fest
Pride Parade
Pride South Side
Meet our Outreach Team
6/1 – Sashay! Drag Comedy Talk Show
6/3 – Speak Des Plains / Second Annual Community Pride Celebration
6/6 – Gearhead Outfitters
6/17 & 6/18 – Youth Pride Space @ Pridefest
6/23 – Play it Again Sports / Village of Forest Park
Get Tested
6/10 & 6/11– Misommarfest
6/11 – Pride w/ Hyde Park Art Center
6/14 – Mercy Housing
6/15 – Men’s Health Fair / Town of Cicero Health Department
6/22 – Thursday Night Out Oak Park
Volunteer for Pride
If you or your organization are interested in volunteering with Howard Brown Health during Pride Month or beyond, please check out our volunteer page. We have a particular need for volunteers with experience engaging vulnerable youth or navigating group home environments.
Advocate for the Community
Educate Yourself
Educate those around you who are hearing myths and misinformation about trans and non-binary individuals:
- Transgender Day of Visibility: Debunking Transphobic Myths
- Combating Anti-Transgender Disinformation: Anti-LGBTQ Organizing 201
- Myths and Facts: Battling Disinformation About Transgender Rights
Learn more about harmful anti-LGBTQ+ legislation:
- Check out our advocacy blogs detailing the harms of this legislation and action steps to take!
- Read Howard Brown’s public comment to the Department of Education on improving safety for trans students in schools: Title IX Public Comment to the Secretary of Education
- The Human Rights Campaign recently released LGBTQ+ Americans Fight Back: A Guidebook for Action which provides a comprehensive overview of recent legislation and resources for LGBTQ+ people across the country.
- Movement Advancement Project’s The Facts: Bathroom Safety, Nondiscrimination Laws, and Bathroom Ban Laws
Track the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation happening in your state using these resources:
- You can visit the National Center for Transgender Equality to track the anti-trans bills in your state
- ACLU’s Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures
Contact Your Legislators
Tell your legislators you will fight against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation! Join the United Against Hate Initiative to be informed about advocacy actions whenever bills affecting the LGBTQ+ community move in your state legislature.
Speak up for trans athletes’ protections! You can contact the Department of Education and urge them to finalize the proposed Title IX Rule Protecting Transgender, Non-Binary, and Intersex Athletes! You can find out more about the proposed Title IX rule from our Title IX blog.
Visit GLAAD and tell lawmakers: Don’t Ban Drag! You can reach out to your state representatives and let them know you want to protect Drag and stop the criminalization of performers, venues, and prevent the elimination of safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.
Support These Organizations and Campaigns
Show your support for trans rights by signing HRC’s Count Me In pledge! This will add your voice in the fight to support and uplift trans and non-binary people across the country. Those who pledge will be kept informed about future advocacy actions and demonstrations.
Support youth leading the charge against sports bans! Gender Cool’s Play It Out Campaign puts youth leaders at the forefront of helping people understand the facts and dismantle the myths about the place of TNB youth in school sports.
Lend your support to created LGBTQ+ inclusive athletic environments! Athlete Ally is an organization whose policy work has empowered many athletic organizations to adopt LGBTQI+ affirming policies and protections.
Business Owners: Show your support for LGBTQ+ equity! You can show your support by joining the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. The coalition is a group of over 500 leading U.S. employers that support the Equality Act, federal legislation that would provide the same basic protections to LGBTQ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.
Don’t let drag and gender nonconformity be criminalized! Support the ACLU Drag Defense Fund!
Ways to Support Us
Donate to Howard Brown
You give life-saving care. Supporting Howard Brown Health provides comprehensive health and wellness programs to the LGBTQ+ community, their families, and allies. Your support inspires our delivery of cutting-edge services to more than 40,000 patients and clients each year.
Local Business Fundraisers
Get Involved
The ways to get involved with Howard Brown Health this month and more are endless. Here are a few highlights:
- Support us or join our team at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago 2023
- Apply to join the Vernita Gray Council for Philanthropy to support fundraising, engagement, and outreach
- Apply to join the Community Advisory Board to provide feedback and insights of the workings of Howard Brown
Media Inquiries
For all media inquiries regarding Pride Month or Pride-related events and initiative, please contact Wren O’Kelley, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing, via email at mediainquiries@howardbrown.org or by phone at 872.269.3411.