Peoria Proud

Peoria Proud Peoria Proud encourages and supports diversity and equity throughout the Greater Peoria Area.

Peoria Proud is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes diversity and equity throughout the Greater Peoria Area through education, advocacy, and social outreach. The coalition seeks to unify the community as a whole through advocacy, education and social outreach. Our mission statement is supported by our goals which are:

• Build and maintain our organization to a level that ensure

s we have resources; in the form of information, funds, staff, and supporters to progress in our work with the greatest possible effect

• Ensure that our vision, message, and full support are accessible to the broadest range of ethnic and cultural communities

• Empower the youth in our community by offering safe spaces to learn and grow, fostering leadership skills and providing the tools necessary to be successful in their future

• Maintain an organization that encourages the active participation and support of all people who share our Mission and Values in order to help us achieve our goals.

• Provide venues and opportunities for individual and community growth.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners to further broaden and strengthen the services and support that our organizations bring to the community.

09/05/2026

Pride of the Prairie is a new series from the InQueery podcast, exploring the q***r history of Central Illinois.

Launching January 1, the series will uncover the stories of the people, places, organizations, and moments that shaped LGBTQ+ life in our region, including the history that never made it into the textbooks.

We’ve just finished recording our very first episode, and we’re excited to begin sharing these stories with you!

Pride of the Prairie is made possible through a grant from Illinois Humanities, with Central Illinois Friends generously providing the Butler Family Community Library as our recording space.

Central Illinois has always had a q***r history. We’re going back to find it, listen to the people who lived it, and preserve these stories for the people who come next.

History happened here too.

Pride of the Prairie. Coming January 2027.

We are excited to announce our first round of entertainment for Midnight in Peoria- NYE Gala, taking the 8:30 to 10pm sl...
09/03/2026

We are excited to announce our first round of entertainment for Midnight in Peoria- NYE Gala, taking the 8:30 to 10pm slot, Strat & Strad!

Strat & Strad is a Peoria-area musical duo featuring husband-and-wife musicians Aaron and Rosemary Ardner. With Rosemary on violin and Aaron joining her on guitar, the two bring a unique blend of musicianship, personality, and a love of live music to every performance.

Whether they’re playing a local venue, community event, or gathering with friends, Strat & Strad know how to create the kind of music that makes people want to stop, listen, and stay awhile. Their chemistry as both musicians and partners gives their performances a relaxed, genuine feel that fits right at home in the Peoria music scene.

Come hear what happens when a Strat meets a Strad!

*Don't forget that when you buy your Midnight in Peoria ticket, you are entered into a drawing to win a free drink ticket at the New Year's Eve Gala!! Winners will be announced every Monday!*

September 1, 2009—Vermont legalized same-s*x marriage.September 4, 1957—The report of the Department Committee on Homos*...
09/01/2026

September 1, 2009—Vermont legalized same-s*x marriage.

September 4, 1957—The report of the Department Committee on Homos*xual Offenses and Prostitution was published in Britain after a succession of well-known men were convicted of homos*xual offenses.

September 6, 2005—The California legislature passes a bill to legalize same-s*x marriage.

September 7, 2001—The first game le***an television that work is launched in Canada, PrideVision.

Image Description: Pride flag shaped heart behind text that says "This Week in LGBTQ History". Various hands at the bottom holding different Pride flags.

What better way to ring in the New Year than with all of your friends and Peoria Proud?! Join us on December 31st at Em...
09/01/2026

What better way to ring in the New Year than with all of your friends and Peoria Proud?! Join us on December 31st at Embassy Suites in East Peoria for Midnight in Peoria. It's sure to be a night you'll never forget!

Every Monday, we will draw a winner from all tickets sold the previous week to get a free drink ticket at the event (alternative prize for non-drinkers). Tickets are at the lowest price they will be, so go purchase them now before they go up, up and up!! You will get an EXTRA entry if you buy a ticket AND tag a friend that you think should also come enjoy the fun!

8:30pm - 2pm
Food & Drinks included
Cash Bar
Goodie Bags
Entertainment and Dancing
Silent Auction & More!!

We also have a room block where you can get a hotel room at a discounted rate! There are many fun perks included with your room including a cocktail hour BEFORE the event, a morning after survival bag, & free breakfast the next morning!

Buy your tickets and book your room here: https://www.peoriaproud.org/midnight-in-peoria-nye-gala

Stay tuned! Tomorrow we will be announcing our first round of entertainment for Midnight in Peoria!

On this day in 1963, some 200,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., an event that became a high point of the civil rig...
08/28/2026

On this day in 1963, some 200,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., an event that became a high point of the civil rights movement, especially remembered for the famous “I Have a Dream” speech of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/March-on-Washington

Image Description: Silhouette of Martin Luther King, Jr on an American flag background. Texas says his name and "I have a dream"

Women’s Equality Day is a national moment in the United States to celebrate the incorporation of the 19th Amendment to t...
08/26/2026

Women’s Equality Day is a national moment in the United States to celebrate the
incorporation of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, which grants women the right to vote. While there continued to be difficulties for women, particularly women of color, in utilizing this right, this was a huge step toward a more gender-equal society. Women’s Equality Day, therefore, provides time for reflection – to celebrate our progress thus far and acknowledge the work still necessary to achieve gender equality in the United States.

Source: https://equalitynow.org/get-involved/wed/

Image Description: Silhouette of several women at the bottom with the date of August 26 and the text Women's Equality Day.

Aug 26, 1969—Canada decriminalizes homos*xual acts.Aug 28, 1985—Desert Hearts, a le***an-themed romantic drama film loos...
08/25/2026

Aug 26, 1969—Canada decriminalizes homos*xual acts.

Aug 28, 1985—Desert Hearts, a le***an-themed romantic drama film loosely based on the Jane Rule novel, Desert of the Heart, is released.

Aug 29, 1867—Karl Heinrich Ulrichs speaks publicly for gay and le***an rights.

Aug 29, 2013—The U.S. Treasury Department rules that legally married same-s*x couples will be treated as married for tax purposes, even if they live in a state that doesn’t recognize same-s*x marriage.

Aug, 1971—Lesbian Tide, the first le***an news periodical is published.

Aug, 1973—American Bar Association calls for repeal of laws against consensual s*x.

Image Description: Pride flag shaped heart behind text that says "This Week in LGBTQ History". Various hands at the bottom holding different Pride flags.

Don't forget to check out this month's sweepstakes opportunity from Nature's Grace & Wellness. They are giving away $10,...
08/24/2026

Don't forget to check out this month's sweepstakes opportunity from Nature's Grace & Wellness. They are giving away $10,000 every month through August 2026! $5,000 to a lucky winner every month and $5,000 to your favorite charity organization (Peoria Proud, of course!) Check out the link to enter and make sure you select Peoria Proud as your choice charity! You can enter up to five times EVERY month! https://bit.ly/NGW10K

Image Description: Cream background featuring various cannabis products. Green text reads "The Nature's Grace $10k Prize Sweepstakes. August - Stand up and smoke out. August featured brand: All NGW PR3-ROLLS & Funnies Gummies. Win $5k and donate $5k to charity." To learn about this month's featured brand, visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, or ask your budtender. Fine print: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Promotion ends 11:59PM CT 12/31/26. Open to eligible Illinois residents 21 years or older. Limit five (5) entries per person. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. One (1) winner will be randomly selected and eligible to receive one (1) prize which consists of $5,000 for winner and a $5,000 donation to a pre-approved charity. Restrictions apply; see Official Rules in link."

We're proud to be recognized as a 2026 Illinois Humanities Project Grant grantee partner. With this support, we’re annou...
08/21/2026

We're proud to be recognized as a 2026 Illinois Humanities Project Grant grantee partner.

With this support, we’re announcing a new InQueery podcast season, Pride of the Prairie 🎙️🌾

This season will preserve and share the people, places, and stories that shaped LGBTQ+ history across Central Illinois.

Have a story to tell? We want to hear from you! If you have memories, photos, artifacts, or stories from our region’s LGBTQ+ history, reach out to Peoria Proud.

🎙️ Episode One premieres January 1, 2027!

08/21/2026

And for our last sponsor, thank you Peoria Proud for being our Advocate in Pekin!

Address

2112 E. War Memorial Drive
Peoria, IL
61614

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