Join us for the #MakeLoveLouder campaign - a tongue-in-cheek, counter-protest organized to inject humanity, laughter, love, and affirmation into an emotionally and spiritually toxic space at the 2018 Chicago Pride Parade! We’ll station ourselves directly in front of the cordoned off protest area, offering a message of support, solidarity, and care for paraders-in contrast to the messages of bigotry, shame, and stigma projected by those behind us.
Together we can #MakeLoveLouder!
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The Details
TIME:
Sunday, June 24th, from 12p - 4p. While the parade starts at noon, it won’t make it down to our location until 1p or 1:30p. Though you’re welcome to come and leave whenever you like, please RSVP via event invite or via email (info@centerforinclusivity.org) so that we have a sense of how many people to expect.
LOCATION:
445 W. Diversey (see map in comments). We’ll have a 25′ banner attached to the parade railing directly in front of the protest area.
CONTACT & SAFETY
If you need to reach us on the day of, please use our Facebook event page, tweet at or direct message us on Twitter (@cfi_chicago), or call us at 1-800-899-5495. Please note that the parade route (and especially our section) will have heavy police presence. In the unlikely event of an emergency, we will leave the area and regroup in the parking lot of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N Cannon Dr., a half-mile Southeast of our location.
T-SHIRTS:
We will have 100 #MakeLoveLouder t-shirts at the location (see picture in comments). We will be giving them out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Plan to come early if getting the right size is important to you.
TRANSPORTATION:
While there are a number of garages you can park in with discounted rates using Parking Panda or Spot Hero, CTA may be your best option for travel. The Diversy Brown Line stop is a 0.6 mile walk from our location. There are also a number of bus options available. Consider using the CTA Trip planner to map out the best route for you (http://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/)
WHAT TO BRING:
Sunscreen, a rain poncho, comfortable shoes, sunglasses, signs (without sticks), and some kind of wearable bag to hold it all in. Stuff on the ground tends to get trampled on. We purchased tons of water and some snacks but know that our location is about 20 yards from a 7-Eleven if you need anything.
CO-SPONSORSHIP:
We would love to see other groups and organizations co-sponsor this event with us. If you know a group that would like to get involved, please have them email us at info@centeforinclusivity.org so we can work to get them plugged in.
#MAKELOVELOUDER ONLINE Q&A
You may have questions about what to expect at #MakeLoveLouder or want to know about the history. We’ll be hosting an online info session on Wednesday, June 20th to go over expectations for the day and any inquires you may have. The link for the orientation can be accessed via https://zoom.us/j/828387847.
We’re looking forward to seeing you at Pride!
3 BASIC GUIDELINES:
1) Exude love, joy, and care with every fiber of your being. Our mission is to bring light to a emotionally and spiritually dark space at Pride. We’ll do it with hugs, cheers, affirmations, and supportive signs (posterboard and markers will be down at the location) but know that what’s most important is your presence. We don’t just want to communicate love, we want to embody love.
2) When asked what we’re doing (by paraders or onlookers), reply with something simple like, “We’re here to make love louder than anything” or “We’re here to be louder than the bullies.”
3) Don’t engage with the protesters. They’ll say all sorts of vile things through their megaphones, maybe even to you personally. They do it to provoke people and to get a reaction so we’re not going to give them the satisfaction of our attention.
We’re going to have a blast! Know that we’re so excited to #MakeLoveLouder with you!
