Lots of of group members and vacationers from different components of the Chicago area and dozens of distributors and nonprofit organizations gathered to have a good time Delight Month in Irwin Park in Homewood on the night of Friday, June 7.
The occasion celebrated and confirmed help for the LGBTQ+ members of the group.
The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District organized Homewood Delight Fest in collaboration with the villages of Homewood and Flossmoor. The occasion featured performances from three musical acts — the Bel Canto Neighborhood Choir, Six of Spades and Past the Blonde.
Some attendees sat in garden chairs to observe the musical acts. Others arrange tents. Others danced or performed with seaside balls. Many waved Delight flags whereas exploring the competition.
Tessa Dewitt, proper, and Emily Gardner traveled to Homewood
Delight Fest from Indiana and acquired their faces painted.
(Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
“Opposite to our typical set, that was truly our solely unhappy music that we’re taking part in right this moment,” Six of Spades member Kelly Parker mentioned after they carried out their rendition of “Racy” by Olivia Rodrigo.
“That is Delight. It’s a enjoyable occasion. It’s speculated to be joyful. We wished to feed into that,” Six of Spades member Ave Van Til mentioned. “As a substitute of placing [the audience] into a tragic area like we regularly do.”
Regardless that Delight is a celebration, Van Til pressured that it’s additionally a protest.
“It’s a recognition of previous protests which have gotten us to the place we’re. As a result of it began as a riot. And regularly, individuals are individuals are being oppressed. There are nonetheless loads of points that must be solved,” Van Til mentioned. “We [the LGBTQ+ community] share a language and it’s actually stunning. Nevertheless it’s additionally actually essential to maintain preventing.”
“Not solely do now we have many members of the LGBTQIA group in our group however we clearly help all members of the group,” Bel Canto Neighborhood Choir director Carrie Bonanotte mentioned. “About 80% of our refrain is from Homewood and Flossmoor. We’ve got members in Tinley Park, Mokena and Park Forest as properly.”
Carrie Bonanotte, proper, directs the Bel Canto Neighborhood Choir on the H-F Delight Fest. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
From left, Homewood Assistant Village Supervisor Terence Acquah, H-F Park District Commissioner Angie Coderre and her youngster, and Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson. Every greeted the gang on the H-F Delight Fest on June 7. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
Homewood-Flossmoor Park District commissioner Angie Coderre, Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson and Homewood Assistant Village Supervisor Terence Acquah gave quick speeches.
“How are we doing, Homewood, Flossmoor, women, gays, theys and allies?” Coderre mentioned. “As somebody who grew up within the Homewood-Flossmoor group, it’s so nice to return again as a homosexual grownup and lift my family right here. It means a lot to see everybody come out to help, have a good time and have an excellent time.”
Coderre mentioned that when she and her spouse moved from the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago to purchase a home and begin a household, there was no hesitation in the place they wished to dwell.
A teen prepares to catch a giant bubble.
Dressed for Delight. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
“There’s no higher place to be lesbian mother and father than Flossmoor, Illinois. And I imply that with my full coronary heart,” Coderre mentioned.
Homewood District 153 College Board president Shelly Marks was amongst these in attendance. She wore a Delight hat and pressured that she was representing herself not the college district.
“I’m so completely happy that we’re doing this and celebrating equality for everybody,” Marks mentioned. “It’s actually essential for each individual to be their genuine self.”
Close to the distributors, a number of completely different Delight flags dangle from the timber — together with the transgender flag, the bisexual flag and others.
Valerie Schroder painted the faces of festival-goers younger and previous. She mentioned she didn’t know what number of faces she painted as a result of she’d been doing it continuous all through the occasion.
Emily Gardner traveled to Homewood Delight Fest from Indiana and acquired her face painted.
“We’re from a small city and also you don’t see individuals have a good time [Pride] quite a bit,” Gardner mentioned, including that she enjoys “seeing festivals like this with all forms of variety and all people right here.”
The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s sales space displayed a poster that mentioned “Everybody’s welcome right here” with palms of various races holding varied Delight flags. They supplied information about Homewood-Flossmoor Park District packages and its Variety, Fairness and Inclusion committee.
Deliberate Parenthood of Illinois handed out free condoms, buttons in each English and Spanish, chapstick, pens, tissues and bottles of hand sanitizer.
“Seize what number of it’s possible you’ll want,” Deliberate Parenthood of Illinois program supervisor Abigail Rivera mentioned to attendees approaching the sales space.
“Quite a lot of of us know us for reproductive well being and don’t additionally know that we’re right here for our queer group,” Rivera mentioned. “We’re the main supplier of gender-affirming hormone remedy.”
The Homewood-Flossmoor chapter of Dad and mom and Buddies of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) handed out free Delight flags and informed attendees about their month-to-month help conferences. In accordance with Amanda Jo Greep, the top of PFLAG’s Homewood-Flossmoor Chapter, the chapter is barely 11 months previous so that is their first huge group occasion.
“Homewood-Flossmoor has lengthy been championed for our variety,” Greep mentioned. “We’re so fortunate to dwell in the neighborhood we do, particularly within the face of the nationwide local weather that we’re in for LGBT of us, for queer of us, for trans of us. They’re underneath assault nationwide – our kids, our households, our communities.”
Homewood-Flossmoor Excessive College social staff Dannie Van Vlier and Kristina Zandi had a sales space. They knowledgeable attendees in regards to the assets they supply to college students and about Alphabet Soup, the after-school membership formally referred to as the Homosexual-Straight Alliance.
“We are able to write plans to assist college students change names, genders, be capable of make the most of different restrooms, locker rooms, uniforms for P.E. and be capable of make so many various lodging for college students,” Vlier mentioned, explaining their roles as social staff at Homewood-Flossmoor Excessive College. “The Homosexual-Straight Alliance modified names as extra teams of younger individuals started taking possession of not solely their gender however their sexuality.”
The meals distributors included however weren’t restricted to Crab Bagz, Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery, D’s Cookie Dough, Buona Beef, Kona Ice, Juancho’s Tacos and Nissa’s Nina Pudding & Extra. Attendees chatted with one another as they stood in lengthy strains awaiting their meals.
Flossmoor Station ran out of beer throughout the first hour and a half of Homewood Delight Fest.
Crab Bagz ready shish kabobs with the selection of shrimp, rooster, steak and/or greens. They ran out of shrimp and steak throughout the first hour of the fest. A Crab Bagz worker needed to return to the restaurant at 18681 Dixie Hwy in Homewood to seize extra provides.
“We’re right here to help. We love everybody and we like to carry it,” Crab Bagz co-owner and chef Greg Walker mentioned.
On the finish of the night, attendees lined as much as take footage with the lead singer of Past the Blonde in her extravagant, Delight-themed jumpsuit. They have been taken in entrance of an indication with the band’s brand.
