The Center on Halsted, Uptown United and 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman's office joined forces June 7 to unveil inaugural "Uptown Proud" banners on North Broadway Avenue.
Sprinkled along the new Pride Parade route, which will make a historic jaunt into Uptown June 24, the colorful banners serve a dual purpose: to welcome Pride revelers and to alert residents to upcoming festivities.
"We're really confident that [the move into Uptown] is going to work well for the overall parade and for the neighborhood," said Wally Rozak, Uptown United's assistant director. "We get a lot of bad press and reputation in Uptown, but there's a lot of great stuff that goes on up here. We want people to know it."
In June 2011, the 42nd Annual Pride Parade drew nearly double the expected attendees, overwhelming parade security and audience members alike. In October of that year, parade officials announced they would extend the 2012 parade route into Uptown to alleviate roadblocks and assist with crowd control.
This year's parade will kick off at noon at the corner of Montrose and Broadway, then wind south to wrap up in Boystown.
"Uptown has become much more LGBT-friendly and LGBT-occupied over the last 10 years," Rozak said. "We have a history of acceptance of everybody, so it just makes sense [to move here]."
Roughly 50 banners now line the parade route's Uptown corridor. Designed by Center on Halsted graphic designer David Hunt, each pennant features Uptown's skyline, the Chicago skyline, a billowing rainbow flag, and the newly coined slogan "Uptown Proud."
The Center on Halsted initiated the banner production process earlier this year as part of its continued outreach efforts.
"We're constantly trying to find ways that every neighborhood in Chicago can be more welcoming to LGBT communities," said Brian Richardson, the Center on Halsted's director of public affairs.
The Center enlisted Uptown United, a local business development organization, and Ald. Cappleman's office to brainstorm ways the community could capitalize on Pride festivities. Banners were a no-brainer, Richardson said.
"Pride is such a visible sign to the city of Chicago that we're welcoming [all queer people] no matter what neighborhood they're in," Richardson said. "This will be the first time [Uptown] has had rainbow flags of any kind flying in the neighborhood."
The Center took on design responsibilities, while Uptown United fielded production costs, which ran into the thousands.
"There's the understanding that: Ok, we've got the banners for this year, and then we'll take them down, store them, and put them back up next year," Rozak said. "We've got the infrastructure in place now, and that's the important thing."
In addition to hanging banners, Uptown United will distribute several thousand handheld rainbow flags emblazoned with the phrase "Uptown Proud." The organization is also encouraging local businesses to offer drink specials, Pride-themed events, and parade-day perks such as water bottles and gift bags.
"It's exciting to see other neighborhoods showcase how excited they are to welcome LGBT people to their community," Richardson said, noting that while Boystown regularly displays pylons and banners, few other neighborhoods boast such visible forms of acceptance. "[These are] tangible ways for communities across Chicago to show welcome-ness and openness to the LGBT community."
Organizers hope the incentives will draw spectators to the Uptown leg of the route.
"We want to encourage people to spread out a little bit because [no one] wants the logistics of last year," Rozak said. "You don't want the parade to collapse under the weight of its own success."
For its part, Uptown United views the banners as an investment, Rozak said. The organization hopes the Pride Parade will continue to kick off in Uptown for years to come.
"It'll probably take a couple years, but it will develop," Rozak said. "We pray that everyone feels safe, can get in and out when they need to, and have a good time—which is really what it's all about."
For a complete listing of Uptown Pride events, visit www.uptownproud.org .
To learn more about the Center on Halsted's Pride events, visit www.centeronhalsted.org .
