Joliet Pride Network

Joliet Pride Network Our organization is committed to creating safe spaces and fostering diversity.

Joliet Pride network is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion, dignity, and acceptance through advocacy for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Joliet Pride Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion, dignity and acceptance through advocacy for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Today is National Coming Out Day.Taking that first big step to announce to the world who you really are requires a lot o...
10/11/2026

Today is National Coming Out Day.

Taking that first big step to announce to the world who you really are requires a lot of courage, but coming out is rarely a one-time event.

Most LGBTQ+ folks have to 'come out' on an almost daily basis: every new school, every new job, every new doctor or hospital visit, etc. It's having to constantly correct assumptions made in casual conversation by complete strangers while doing everyday things like grocery shopping, having you hair cut, or having your car serviced. It takes a lot of strength and endurance, but each interaction helps to fight homophobia and to counter hurtful stereotypes.

To those who choose to live out and openly all the time - you are a beacon of hope to those who are still struggling to live their lives authentically. We thank you for helping to pave the way to acceptance for all of us.

Arlene Halko was a medical physicist who was on staff at Cook County and Michael Reese Hospitals. She was also a Clinica...
10/09/2026

Arlene Halko was a medical physicist who was on staff at Cook County and Michael Reese Hospitals. She was also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Illinois College of medicine. Her research was published in a number of medical journals. At the height HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 80s, Halko co-founded Chicago House, the Midwest's first social service agency dedicated to providing housing and supportive care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

She co-owned Piggen's Pub, a gathering place for local le****ns. The pub served as an important hub for the LGBTQ community - hosting organizing groups, fundraisers, and even sponsoring local sports teams.

She also co-founded the Jeannette Howard Foster Memorial Sewing Circle and Book Club in 2000 to preserve local le***an history.

Awards and Honors:
- Named Woman of the Year by Gay Chicago Magazine in 1988
- Honored by the Illinois Gay and Le***an Task Force in 1990
- Inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 1996

International Le***an Day is a day of celebrating le****ns, along with their culture, history, and diversity.It is close...
10/08/2026

International Le***an Day is a day of celebrating le****ns, along with their culture, history, and diversity.

It is closely related to Le***an Visibility Day, which is meant to bring attention to the unique issues le****ns face.

Gloria Allen, affectionately known as “Mama Gloria,” was a trailblazing Black transgender activist, elder, and community...
10/08/2026

Gloria Allen, affectionately known as “Mama Gloria,” was a trailblazing Black transgender activist, elder, and community leader who dedicated her life to empowering trans youth in Chicago.

She founded the Charm School at the Center on Halsted, where she taught young trans women etiquette, makeup, self-respect, and how to keep themselves safe in a world increasingly hostile to them.

Awards and Honors:
- Received the Living Legend Award at the Trans 100 Awards in 2014
- Inspired the hit play 'Charm', by Philip Dawkins in 2017
- Subject of the award winning documentary film 'Mama Gloria' in 2020
* 2020 – Chicago International Film Festival – Best Documentary, Nominee
* 2020 – Teaneck International Film Festival – Best Documentary, Winner
* 2020 – CineOdyssey Film Festival – Best of Fest
* 2021 – Milwaukee Film Festival, Black Lens Jury Award, Winner
- Received the Carmen Vázquez Award for Excellence in Leadership on Aging Issues from SAGE in 2021
- Inducted posthumously into the Chicago Gay and Le***an Hall of Fame in 2024

10/07/2026

THIS SATURDAY! PET BLESSING AT FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH!

Bring your furry, feathered, or other beloved animal companions for a special Pet Blessing at Faith Lutheran Church!

Saturday, October 10th, 1PM
Faith Lutheran Church
353 N. Midland Ave., Joliet, IL
Front Patio

Our pets bring so much joy, comfort, and companionship into our lives. Join us as we celebrate these wonderful members of our families and offer a special blessing for them.

For the safety of all our guests and their pets:
Please keep all dogs on a leash.
Please bring cats and other animals in secure carriers.

All are welcome, so invite your friends, neighbors, and fellow animal lovers!

We can't wait to meet your pets!

📚 Banned Books Week 2026 📚This first full week of October each year marks the American Library Association’s "Banned Boo...
10/06/2026

📚 Banned Books Week 2026 📚

This first full week of October each year marks the American Library Association’s "Banned Books Week", which brings attention to the issue of book bans and challenges at school and public libraries across the country.

Data from the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom consistently shows that LGBTQ+ books make up a disproportionate number of the titles targeted for removal each year. LGBTQ+ youth deserve books that validate their life experiences. Non-LGBTQ+ youth need books that expand their understanding and empathy. Public and school libraries are designed to serve everyone, not to cave to a noisy minority.

Take time this month to pick up and read a challenged LGBTQ+ book from your local library or independent bookstore. You can find the most challenged books of 2025 on the ALA's website: https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

Also, pay attention to and attend your local school board and public library board meetings. When we show up in larger numbers than the book banners, we protect everyone's freedom to read.

10/06/2026

Reminder - The inaugural meeting is taking place tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 7!

From PFLAG National
ICYMI: Earlier this month, we announced the launch of our new PFLAG Connects: Two-Spirit & Indigenous Circle! 🎉

PFLAG Connects: Two-Spirit & Indigenous Circle provides a safe, virtual, moderated space where people with shared experiences can connect each month. This community gathers parents, families, and loved ones of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer relatives—as well as all Native and Indigenous people looking to be better relatives—to gain support, ask questions, and learn from others who have been through similar experiences. These meetings cater primarily to family members of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people, and also welcome members of the Native LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit community.

The meetings are facilitated by Native and Indigenous peer facilitators who are either Two-Spirit/LGBTQ+ themselves or have a loved one who is. The meetings are free to the public and do not require PFLAG National or chapter affiliation.
PFLAG Connects: Two-Spirit & Indigenous Circle virtually meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 9pm ET / 6pm PT, with the inaugural meeting taking place tomorrow! Wednesday, October 7!
Join us for the launch by registering today at pflag.org/events/two-spirit-indigenous-circle

Born Heinrich Ge**er in Bavaria, Germany, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1913, settling in Chicago and began working for th...
10/06/2026

Born Heinrich Ge**er in Bavaria, Germany, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1913, settling in Chicago and began working for the U.S. Postal Service. During World War I, Ge**er served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Weimar Berlin. There he encountered a thriving homosexual rights movement led by Magnus Hirschfeld and the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee. Inspired by what he found in Germany, he returned to Chicago determined to build a similar movement in America.

On December 10, 1924, Ge**er founded the Society for Human Rights - the first recognized gay rights organization in the United States. The organization's goals were to protect the civil rights of gay men and le****ns and to educate the public on human sexuality. The society published Friendship and Freedom, the first known American newsletter published specifically for a gay audience.

However, the organization was short-lived. In less than a year, Chicago police raided Ge**er’s home and arrested him and several other members. The choices he was given were either to go to jail or join the Army. He chose the Army and served for 17 more years. When he left the service he settled in Washington D.C. where he continued to write (under pseudonyms) for other Gay and Le***an publications.

Awards & Honors:
- Ge**er’s Chicago house at 1710 N. Crilly Court was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2015.
- Inducted posthumously into the Chicago Gay and Le***an Hall of Fame in 1992.
- The Ge**er/Hart Library and Archives in Chicago, dedicated to preserving LGBTQ+ history in the Midwest, is named in honor of Henry Ge**er and attorney Pearl M. Hart.

The 2026 Charlie Palmer Community Recognition AwardPresented by The Joliet Pride NetworkIn 2021 the Award was created by...
10/06/2026

The 2026 Charlie Palmer Community Recognition Award
Presented by The Joliet Pride Network

In 2021 the Award was created by Joliet Pride Network to recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations who embody the Network's mission statement. The following year, 2022, the name was changed to honor Charlie Palmer who passed away. "Joliet Pride Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion, dignity and acceptance through advocacy for members of the LGBTQ+ communty. Our organization is committed to creating safe spaces and fostering diversity. "

The award was named after Charlie Palmer because Charlie lived our mission statement. Charlie worked tirelessly for the LGBTQ+ communty for decades. He worked for Regional Care and the Will County Health Department for many years providing education and case management for individuals with HIV/AIDS. Charlie also worked doing outreach and testing in the community for at risk individuals and to link those individuals with needed services. Charlie passed away in August 2021.
Joliet Pride Network is honored to present this award every year at Joliet PrideFest, not just to recognize these incredible individuals and groups, but also for Joliet Pride Network's standing commitment to remembering and keeping alive those like Charlie Palmer who committed themselves to bettering our community.

This year's recipients are Nancy Mullen and the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet. We are honored to present the Charlie Palmer Community Recognition Award this year to Nancy and UUCJ.

UUCJ:
Since 1836, the Universalist Unitarian Church has been a part of the spiritual life of Joliet, providing a religious home for people that believe the best way to find truth is to keep an open mind.

UUCJ's mission is to be an inclusive ministry encouraging the education and spiritual growth of it's members and the greater community.

UUCJ had been at the forefront of the Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Q***r inclusion for more than 40 years, they are a people of all sexual orientation and gender identity. UUCJ is a welcoming congregation.

Accepting the award for UUCJ is Dorothy Brunbaugh. Dorothy and her husband Paul were integral in establishing the Community Action Alliance Network, Without Dorothy, her husband, and other members of UUCJ the Joliet Pride Network would not exist.

Nancy Mullen:
Nancy has served as the executive director of Youth Outlook for over 28 years and will be retiring at the end of this year. She has worked tirelessly and with great dedication to providing care and community to at risk LGBTQ+ youth all over Northern Illinois. Her efforts have provided exactly the type of supportive environment she was lacking while growing up.

Nancy is also an author. Her first book, Urban Tidepool, is a memoir about surviving childhood trauma and family disfunction. The books narrative focuses on human connection, everyday heroes, and finding the light within the darkness. Her second book is due out in 2027.

Nancy formed the speakers bureau Tidepool Communications - a group of presenters working to bring focus to topics pertaining to PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

Due to an accident Nancy was unable to attend; accepting the award on her behalf is JPN board member Tracy Ritter.

Address

Joliet, IL

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Joliet Pride Network posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Joliet Pride Network:

Shortcuts

Share

Category