54th Chicago Pride Parade
Sunday, June 29th

prideCollage
  • WHAT: 2025 Chicago Area Mensa Rainbow Pride Parade and Luncheon afterward.
  • WHO: You, your family, and any friends who might want to join you.
  • WHEN: Sunday, June 29th.
  • TIME: Line up begins around 10 AM and continues until 11 AM, but feel free to arrive earlier if it’s more convenient or you like socializing. We will make a concerted effort to make sure new participants meet other new participants and the rest of the group. The group photo will be taken at ~11:10 AM.
  • WHERE: The line-up is near of the intersection of N. Broadway and W. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60613 (just north of where the parade starts; see the designated orange staging area shown on the map below). We will know the exact location about one week before the parade. Everyone who RSVPs will be notified of the exact location a few days before. The Parade Route will snake south through the north side of Chicago on Broadway and then Halsted to Belmont, then Broadway again and end at Diversey and Sheridan (see map below).
  • WHY: To show our solidarity with members of the LGBTQ++ community, their friends, families, and Allies. Expect ~1 million spectators along the route to be cheering us on.
  • HOW: Because parking nearby will be almost non-existent, it’s recommended that you share a ride, use public transportation (CTA Red Line Sheridan station is the closest), or park further away near public transportation and use it. You can also use one of the ridesharing services but they will not be able to drop you off near Broadway—expect to walk a few blocks from wherever they can drop you off.
  • T-SHIRTS: If you don’t have a shirt from a prior year or you’d like a new one, we have ordered extras. These moisture-wicking shirts can be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis at the April, May or June Monthly Gathering as well as on the day of the parade if you haven't paid in advance. The cost is $20 for either the women’s or men’s style. You do not have to participate in the parade to purchase one.
  • WEAR/BRING: Wear your CAM t-shirt or other shirt in a bright color of the Rainbow Flag. Wear comfortable walking shoes that you’ve already broken in (you don’t want to have blisters for a week afterwards)! Wear a cross-body-strap bag containing two bottles of frozen water, sunscreen with a high SPF, your wallet with at least $43 for the luncheon afterwards (more if you’d like to enjoy one of the many cocktails available) as well as $20 for a shirt if you’re purchasing one on-site, and any personal items you might need (tissues, hat, umbrella, smart phone, camera, snack, chewing gum, etc.).
  • AFTERWARDS: And like previous years, we will gather for a late private lunch after the Parade and continue to share the warm feelings before heading home. The cost of the luncheon is expected to be $43 for each member of Chicago Area Mensa and one guest as per GOBS spending guidelines. The charge for others or additional guests will be higher but not more than $50. The luncheon will start no earlier than 2:30 PM. The exact time all depends upon our position in the parade. If we are at the back of the parade, the luncheon will start much later. We will know our position about one week before the parade. The lunch will take place at the Basil Leaf Café. The restaurant is located at 2465 N. Clark St., Chicago. You can attend the luncheon even if you don't participate in the Parade.
  • RSVPs: If you are interested in participating this year, please RSVP by emailing parade@chicago.us.mensa.org  at your earliest opportunity, but no later than Thursday, May 29th, and let us know if you will
    1. walk the fifteen block route (limited to 100 people) or need to ride in the float (limited to 18 people on the float). If you plan to walk (alas, the Parade coordinators won’t allow you to walk and ride — just one or the other), it might be a good idea to start increasing the amount of walking you do in a day so you won’t develop blisters!
    2. want a Chicago Mensa men’s or women’s t-shirt in size ? (if available).
    3. join us for the late lunch after the parade (limit is 50 people).

If you need more information, see the article in the April ChiMe (when it becomes available) or email parade@chicago.us.mensa.org . For more information about our Rainbow Special Interest Group (SIG), visit their website.

Below a few fellow Ms shared what they experienced or why they marched:

The Pride Parade is such an amaz­ingly *joyous* occasion that I can’t help smiling all the way through it, and I have worn out legs, arms and face walk­ing, wav­ing, high-fiving and grinning.

M.J.T.

In years past, I’ve walked the parade route. The energy from the on­lookers was incredible. After­wards, my feet didn’t hurt — my face hurt. I just couldn’t stop smil­ing. Try smiling for a few hours straight and see what your face feels like. Better yet, join us and you can do your smiling at the parade. It’s truly a wonderful experience.

Jon G.

I participate to show support and solidarity with my many LGBTQ+ friends and family members, and because, as our shirts say, “Diversity is smart.”

Stacey K.

As a straight, cis, white, privileged weirdo dude, if anyone should be suspect at a Pride Parade, it’s me. This is the reason that I’m an Ally: there is no more profoundly spiritual experience that the human animal can experience than to be part of a group in which every person is telling every other person, as clearly and loudly and intensely as pos­si­ble, “We wel­come you to be here with us and to be a part of us, without con­di­tion.” This exper­i­ence was human­i­ty at its best.

Joel K.

I participated to show my support. What I exper­i­enced, however, was amazing. There was so much joy and love from the crowd, it inspired me to hope that perhaps someday it just might be pos­sible for people to live in a world where it won’t matter what your gender, race, age, or sexual pref­er­ence is. It was so inclusive, uplifting, and joyful — unlike anything I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.

Barb P.
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