Celebrating Pride Month

What is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month?

Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQIA+ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

Why does LGBTQIA+ representation & celebration matter?

LGBTQIA+ representation in the meetings industry and across the globe is a powerful indicator of a healthy, diverse and vibrant culture. Pride Month is a time to remember LGBTQIA+ history, learn, educate and give back. In supporting LGBTQIA+ organizations, you're contributing directly to the rights, educational initiatives and programs that the community needs.

Especially in 2022, it's important to uplift trans people and queer people of color during Pride Month, as they contribute so much to the history, culture and life of the queer community.

How can I show my PRIDE?

Below are organizations & communities that are a crucial lifeline to often vulnerable members of the LGBTQIA+ community  

1. The Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
   1. The Trevor Project focuses primarily on LGBTQIA+ youth and mental health, providing a hotline and other prevention efforts to help young queer people. They seek to provide a safe place for queer youth to heal and find support.
2. Human Rights Campaign - https://www.hrc.org/
   1. The Human Rights Campaign is a legal lobbying group dedicated to LGBTQIA+ rights and laws. It is the largest lobbying group representing the queer community, and they conduct legal action for the rights and protection of LGBTQIA+ people.
3. Trans Lifeline - https://translifeline.org/
   1. Trans Lifeline supports transgender individuals experiencing crises. It is a hotline for the trans community, by the trans community, to uplift individuals and offer support by providing a safe space.
4. GLAAD - https://www.glaad.org/
   1. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is an organization dedicated to LGBTQIA+ representation in media. Their mission is centered around cultural change and conversations about queer identities.

Join the MPI PRIDE Forum, a group for LGBTQ MPI Members and their allies as well as members interested in diversity issues facing LGBTQ individuals in the MICE industry.

MPI Pride (LGBTQ+ and Allies) Forum

Explore LGBTQIA+ Stories

There are so many different documentaries that illustrate the varied backgrounds, races and creeds of the LGBTQIA+ community.

State of Pride - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J48BIRaG7A

Host Raymond Braun visits the communities of three U.S. cities — Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Tuscaloosa, Ala. — to speak with LGBTQ Americans about what pride means to them today. State of Pride is directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, who were nominated for the Best Documentary Short Oscar for their 2018 short End Game.

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - https://www.netflix.com/title/80189623

When transgender activist and drag performer Marsha P. Johnson was found dead in the Hudson River in the summer of 1992, friends and fellow activists were shocked. But her death was ruled a suicide by New York City police, and the national media paid little attention. Years later, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson explores her little-investigated death while celebrating her legacy as a pioneer, in the 1960s and beyond, of what would come to be called the LGBTQ rights movement.

Kiki - https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B06X9M34CY/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

A captivating look into the daily lives of a group of LGBTQ youth who comprise the "Kiki" scene as they prepare for and perform at fierce and exuberant ballroom competitions in NYC.

Volunteer at your local charities:

1. Howard Brown Health - https://howardbrown.org/

   Rooted in LGBTQIA+ liberation, Howard Brown Health provides affirming healthcare and mobilizes for social justice. We are agents of change for individual wellbeing and community empowerment.

   Volunteer Here

2. Center on Halsted - https://www.centeronhalsted.org/

Center on Halsted is the Midwest's most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of Chicagoland. More than 1,000 community members visit the Center every day, located in the heart of Chicago's Lakeview Neighborhood.

Volunteer Here

Attend the Chicago Pride Parade & Festivals

Chicago's Pride celebration consists of a full month of festivities and events, culminating with the annual Chicago Pride Parade, which traditionally takes place the last Sunday of June. The Pride festival takes place along North Halsted St. in the North Side neighborhood colloquially referred to a ‘Boystown’ the weekend prior to the parade. Pride in the Park, an outdoor music festival in Chicago’s historic Grant Park, made its debut in 2019.

More Information on the Chicago Pride celebration Events here