Aurora Pride and Buffalo Grove Pride Parade postponed until 2021
Sat. April 4, 2020 8:22 AM by Ross Forman
2019 bg pride drew about 7,500 attendees
photo credit // j. hollander photography
Suburban pride festivities canceled in 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic, Chicago Pride Parade still on the calendar
The 2nd annual Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, set for June 7, has been postponed – and organizers announced its next parade will be held June 6, 2021.
"We know that postponing the parade a full year is the best thing to do for the safety of all involved. Health and safety is our first priority," said Carolyn Pinta of the Pinta Pride Project, the event organizer.
The Buffalo Grove announcement came in conjunction with the postponement of the 2020 Aurora Pride, which now will be held June 13, 2021.
"The mission of Buffalo Grove Pride, and the purpose behind the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, is to support and embrace the LGBTQ community and our allies all across the northwest suburbs. This mission has not changed, but the inexorable mathematics of COVID-19 makes a large public celebration dangerous. Keeping you safe means cooperation with, and hard work from, the Buffalo Grove Police department, the Village of Buffalo Grove, and our volunteers," BG Pride organizers stated.
Pinta added: "Of course, we are absolutely devastated not to be able to host this day of love, especially when it is needed so much right now. It softens the blow to know that we are in solidarity with Aurora Pride and to know that we will find alternate ways to celebrate, but it won't be the same.
"The decision (to postpone) was actually very easy to make. We are all about the science and listening to projections of what is still to come; we need to be focused on getting our medical community through this time. We did not even want to consider putting the village in the position of having to make the decision to disappoint people. It is simply the right thing to do."
Pinta confirmed that there will, instead, be a BG Pride Drive on June 7 – and local homes are encouraged to decorate with Pride. A list of homes will be made available, so people can drive by, and BG Pride's official photographer will visit to snap a family pride portrait to share virtually. (All homes in Buffalo Grove are eligible for the portrait; nearby homes also will be considered.) To participate, email: thepintaprideproject@gmail.com.
"Our home will be decorated (with Pride so) you can see it from space," Pinta said, laughing. "We plan to have a DJ on our lawn for folks walking by in a socially distanced manner.
"The need for Pride hasn't diminished, so we don't want Pride month to go entirely unmarked. We're looking at (additional) alternative ways to celebrate that don't put people at additional risk."
The Pinta Pride Project also announced news for their donors and sponsors:
- Donations will go toward 2020 non-gathering Pride efforts, or the 2021 parade.
- Sponsors will have alternate promotion options, to be determined as 2020 plans evolve.
- Parade participants can let their fee apply to 2021; additionally, if there is a fee increase for 2021, the 2020 rate will apply.
Chicago's Pride celebrations remain scheduled for the end of June. Organizers of the annual Pride Fest and Parade told GoPride.com they continue to monitor coronavirus developments.
Related: Chicago LGBTQ COVID-19 Resources
"We know that postponing the parade a full year is the best thing to do for the safety of all involved. Health and safety is our first priority," said Carolyn Pinta of the Pinta Pride Project, the event organizer.
The Buffalo Grove announcement came in conjunction with the postponement of the 2020 Aurora Pride, which now will be held June 13, 2021.
"The mission of Buffalo Grove Pride, and the purpose behind the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, is to support and embrace the LGBTQ community and our allies all across the northwest suburbs. This mission has not changed, but the inexorable mathematics of COVID-19 makes a large public celebration dangerous. Keeping you safe means cooperation with, and hard work from, the Buffalo Grove Police department, the Village of Buffalo Grove, and our volunteers," BG Pride organizers stated.
Pinta added: "Of course, we are absolutely devastated not to be able to host this day of love, especially when it is needed so much right now. It softens the blow to know that we are in solidarity with Aurora Pride and to know that we will find alternate ways to celebrate, but it won't be the same.
"The decision (to postpone) was actually very easy to make. We are all about the science and listening to projections of what is still to come; we need to be focused on getting our medical community through this time. We did not even want to consider putting the village in the position of having to make the decision to disappoint people. It is simply the right thing to do."
Pinta confirmed that there will, instead, be a BG Pride Drive on June 7 – and local homes are encouraged to decorate with Pride. A list of homes will be made available, so people can drive by, and BG Pride's official photographer will visit to snap a family pride portrait to share virtually. (All homes in Buffalo Grove are eligible for the portrait; nearby homes also will be considered.) To participate, email: thepintaprideproject@gmail.com.
"Our home will be decorated (with Pride so) you can see it from space," Pinta said, laughing. "We plan to have a DJ on our lawn for folks walking by in a socially distanced manner.
"The need for Pride hasn't diminished, so we don't want Pride month to go entirely unmarked. We're looking at (additional) alternative ways to celebrate that don't put people at additional risk."
The Pinta Pride Project also announced news for their donors and sponsors:
- Donations will go toward 2020 non-gathering Pride efforts, or the 2021 parade.
- Sponsors will have alternate promotion options, to be determined as 2020 plans evolve.
- Parade participants can let their fee apply to 2021; additionally, if there is a fee increase for 2021, the 2020 rate will apply.
Chicago's Pride celebrations remain scheduled for the end of June. Organizers of the annual Pride Fest and Parade told GoPride.com they continue to monitor coronavirus developments.
Related: Chicago LGBTQ COVID-19 Resources