Look To The Future

White background with a pink triangle illustration with a purple stripe across the top and two thin curved stripes across the bottom and black pink and purple text.

Chicago Pride Week began as a movement to raise awareness for gay and lesbian rights and to celebrate LGBT culture. The first Pride Week was in June, 1970, one year after the Stonewall Riots in New York City, and was overtly political in nature. It featured workshops, a dance, and a march and rally that drew about 200 people. 1990 was the 21st annual Pride Week, and by that time the events had grown decidedly more festive. The parade —the culminating event of the week—took place on June 24th, and drew about 100,000 spectators. The 186 parade entrants included the sitting mayor, Richard M. Daley, local alderman and politicians, activists and political organizations, drag queens, dancers, and choruses.

The phrase on this button, “Look to the Future”, is a reference to the theme of the 1990 InterPride World Conference. InterPride is a global non-profit organization founded in 1981, which aims to bring together producers of pride events and create a network of pride events worldwide.