The 21st Show

On the streets of Springfield’s Pridefest

 

Photo courtesy of Springfield Pride Fest Organization

On May 21, 2022, members of the LGBTQ+ community, their friends,  and family were in downtown Springfield for the start of Pride season in central Illinois. Springfield PrideFest featured a parade, a drag show, and a lot of the colorful revelry you’d expect from this kind of event.

This Pride Festival comes at a fraught time for people in the LGBTQ+ community around the country. Numerous states have passed or are considering laws targeting transgender youth. There are also laws and legislation restricting what teachers can say even about same-sex relationships in their classrooms.

21st host Brian Mackey visited PrideFest to hear more about what was on people’s minds as they celebrated.

 

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

Help shape our coverage on The 21st by joining our texting group and answering weekly questions. To join, text “TALK” to 217-803-0730 or sign up with your phone number below: