By Samantha Ho and Maya Liquigan

June 29, 2024

On Saturday, June 29, families and other supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community filed into Navy Pier Pride to see various live performances from a drag storytime to the Lakeside Pride Marching Band.

The free event included “live music, educational programs, performances from local LGBTQIA+ artists, on-site resources from community partners and more,” according to a statement from Navy Pier.

Attendees were of all ages, from children to adults, all dressed in bright and colorful clothing, waving rainbow flags and Pride-themed fans. There were many photo opportunities for the Pride-outfitted visitors, including a staircase with rainbow railing and Star Wars characters covered in pride flags.

The event kicked off at 11 a.m. with Drag Storytime with the Kiki Queens, “Chicago’s only live-singing, charity drag show.” Families gathered under the shade and enjoyed readings from drag queens Tipsy Bubbles and Sassy Betch. Children watched and were engaged as the queens acted out characters from LGBTQIA+ and gender-focused books including “Pink is for Boys” by Robb Pearlman and “How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow” by Monica Sweeney.

Elizabeth Moschiano attended the storytime with her two children. The family flew in from Los Angeles and were excited to see the pride celebration when visiting the pier. Her family loves celebrating pride and enjoys family-oriented events for Pride Month.

“I think it’s important to make sure that as a family, we know that everyone is supported and loved and included in the world,” Moschiano said. “It’s a normal part of life. Everyone makes different choices and lives different lives, so why not celebrate it?”

Like Moschiano, many other families and event-goers were excited about drag storytime and the other kid-friendly performances and activities.

Brandon Kopesky, a food scientist from Palmer Square, came with his brother and nieces. For Kopensky, it’s important for families to take their children to community events like these. “I think it’s always good to expose them [children] to diversity,” he said. “Inclusion is also a big thing.”

Hannah Muerhoff was also part of Kopesky’s party and agreed with his outlook on family presence and pride. “I think it’s a nice way to start having conversations about identity,” Muerhoff said. By involving kids in those conversations, you can “understand that it’s also about your own identity and your relationship with yourself,” she said.

Booths lined the pier with organizations and groups passing out educational resources and giving out free Pride merchandise. The Chicago Children’s Museum ran a booth that invited children to make custom Pride bracelets while passing out worksheets to parents about embracing diversity and defining LGBTQIA+ words for elementary students.

Ahtziri Barba works at the Chicago Children’s Museum and explained how it is essential to provide accurate information about the LGBTQIA+ community to parents.

“A lot of families are trying to teach their children about the LGBT+ community and just don’t know the language or vocabulary,” Barba said. He explained how once parents have educational resources, it is easier to have conversations with their children.

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national organization focused on educating, supporting and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, was geared with educational resources and downloadable pamphlets. Kathy King-Watters, a member of PFLAG, has been to multiple pride events with the group. King-Watters said that the Navy Pier Pride Celebration tends to fly under the radar compared to the bigger events in the city but encouraged people to come out and celebrate with her.

“I have a son who’s a trans man, so I want to come and celebrate his existence, his ability to be who he is.” King-Watters said. “I want to be here for other families that may be going through the same thing. And just to celebrate that we’re really fortunate to be in Illinois and have the protections that we do.”