On June 27, 1970, Chicago hosted the first ever Pride Parade. Since then, the event has been held every year, and it has grown to be one of the most popular and well known Pride events in the world. The event represents the history of LGBTQ freedom in Chicago and the strong commitment to combating oppression.
From its modest beginnings in 1970, Pride, as well as the Chicago gay community grew substantially. Over time, the parade route was extended and it came to feature street performances, live music and intricate parade floats.
The following graph outlines Pride Parade attendance in Chicago from 1985 to 2014:
In 1990 Pride attendance reached 100,000 participants, a 185 percent increase from 35,000 in 1985. From 1995 to 2000 the attendance increased by 250 percent, to 350,000 participants. Between the years 2005 and 2010 attendance numbers seemed to have stagnated at 450,000 people, however, from 2010 to 2011there is a significant increase of 66 percent participants in a very short amount of time. According to ABC News, civil unions were legalized in Illinois in 2011, thus explaining the noteworthy rise in participation.
In 2013 and 2014 the event attendance reached a high of 1 million, following the legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states.
Teodora Marinescu's Writing and Digital Assets Samples 