CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Mayor Brandon Johnson’s attempt last week to quell a controversy related to the downsizing of the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade may have backfired.
On Friday, Johnson’s office released what was described as a joint statement from the city of Chicago, the Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs and Chicago Pride Parade organizers — in which officials spelled out updated changes to the parade.
The problem: The advisory council released its own statement on Monday and said it was not consulted before the joint statement went out to the public. Members of the advisory council also said the mayor’s office denied their request for a correction to be sent out over Friday’s release.
“As members of the advisory council, we are disappointed that the initial changes to the Pride Parade were made by the city without consulting the LGBTQ+ community, given the significance of this event,” the statement read.
The advisory council added: “No decisions should be made about us without us.”
In April’s announcement that the parade would be downsized, city officials said parade participation would be capped at 125 entries — down by about one-third from the 2023 level. Friday’s announcement increased the number of entries to 150, which would still be less than there in 2023.
The mayor’s office has not yet responded to WBBM Newsradio’s request for comment.
Salvador Mora, the co-owner of Big Gay Sal’s Pizza, expressed his disappointment over the reduction of participants.
“They say it’s for security purposes, but it makes me wonder if they’re trying to shut the community down,” said Mora.
Big Gay Sal’s Pizza is located on North Halsted Street along the Pride Parade route, and Mora said he feels a sense of prejudice at play. He pointed to other large parades and celebrations, such as the Thanksgiving parade or Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, that have continued to grow over the years.
With the scaling back of the Chicago Pride Parade, Mora said he feels that the LGBTQ+ community is being singled out, with visibility and representation diminished.
“It shouldn’t be like that,” he said. “If you’re going to scale down because of a budget or anything, you should do it generally — not only for one community.”
WBBM’s Brandon Ison contributed to this report.
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok