Hundreds of people braved the last of the April showerswhich were more like downpoursto attend the first-ever Unicorn Ball, which the Trans Liberation Collective hosted at Shapiro Ballroom.
The ball was a fundraiser to help open a center with the group's sibling organizations, Brave Space Alliance and the Chicago BTGNC ( Black, Trans and Gender-Nonconforming ) Collective. Every dollar raised will go toward obtaining a physical space for Chicago's first Black, trans-led LGBTQ resource center and the hiring of its initial staff. Organizers stated, "We hope that, with your help, we can create a space for our communities to be safe, loved, and thrive in their truths. We hope to see you all there, so we can each let our inner unicorns out together."
The truly intersectional crowd was treated to a fun night full of performances that included storytelling, live music, burlesque, lip-synching and guest DJs. In a separate room were resource tables from various TGNC and TGNC-affirming community organizations as well as silent-auction tables and raffle prizes, with many Chicago TGNC artists donating said items. Lastly, the ball would not be complete without a unicorn cake.
To learn more about the Trans Liberation Collective, visit www.facebook.com/TransLiberationCollective. Info about Brave Space Alliance and Chicago BTGNC Collective are, respectively, at BraveSpaceAlliance.org and BTGNCCollective.wordpress.com .