Hundreds of people celebrated Transgender Pride in Union Park July 29, for the first Chicago Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex Freedom (TGIF) Rally and Picnic.
Trans Pride, themed “enterprising from the margins,” focused on transgender people of color and honored the community members lost this year, including Paige Clay. Attendees also wrote down names of transgender people they’ve lost and hopes for the community’s future on a make-shift memorial.
The event featured keynote speaker Kylar Broadus, founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition, and performances by the Youth Empowerment Performance Project, About Face Youth Theatre’s What’s The T?, KOKUMO and Queer Choir.
Trans Pride was fantastic and exactly how a pride celebration should be: full of fun, food and family. It had a general feeling of openness and love that was hinged on community rather than corporations.
I am a member of Queer Choir (holding it down for the tenors) and I spent most of the Trans Pride preparing for our performance, but I did have some friends snap some photos and video:
I am reading my femme poem with Queer Choir. Full text of the poem is available here.
The crowd at Trans Pride. KOKUMO is on stage with Queer Choir.
KOKUMO interacting with the crowd while performing with Queer Choir. We backed her up as she sang “I’m Every Woman.”
Some of the members of Queer Choir posing after the Trans Pride performance.
Queer Choir performs femme poem, “Like a Prayer” and “I’m Every Woman” at Trans Pride
Ebonii and El Ray perform Katy Perry’s “E.T.” at Trans Pride
Stuff Queer People Need To Know 
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