Tag: Pride month

Uniting Pride’s Queer Clothing Swap Offers Gender-Affirming Clothes

URBANA — Clothing has the power to determine the ways people view others and the way they view themselves. Many people use clothes as a form of self-expression and as a way to show how they want to be perceived by others. For the LGBTQ+ community, access to gender-affirming is crucial says Uniting Pride of

Champaign Clinic Aims to Spread Awareness of LGBTQ Mental Health

CHAMPAIGN – Many LGBTQ individuals experience issues such as prejudice and healthcare barriers, contributing to higher rates of mental illness among this community than the general population, according to nurse practitioner Kate Srikant. Individuals often feel isolated, or that healthcare providers don’t understand their struggles, Srikant says. Data from the advocacy group Mental Health America

LGBTQ Pride Flies High In Urbana

URBANA – On Monday, Joanne Geigner helped raise the rainbow flag above the Urbana City Building.  She is part of Uniting Pride, which advocates for Champaign County’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. Geigner is also the mother of a transgender son. She says the flag’s visibility sends a message to community members who may

Drag Picnic Offers Safe Space For LGBTQ+ Folks In Champaign

CHAMPAIGN — June is Pride Month, and LGBTQ+ folks and allies in Champaign are ready to kick off the month with a Drag Picnic taking place at West Side Park this Saturday. CJ Brown is the host and organizer of the picnic, as well as one of the drag performers taking the stage this weekend.

2020 Champaign County Pride Fest Seeks To Make An Impact Online

URBANA — The 2020 Champaign County Pride Fest joins a long list of events that have had to move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What used to consist of parades, drag shows, film screenings, and other live events, has now become virtual workshops, Zoom sessions and online discussion panels. The slogan for this year’s

Hundreds March For Black Lives In Downtown Champaign

CHAMPAIGN – Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Champaign Sunday to march and rally for all Black lives, especially those in the LGBTQ community. The group Champaign All Black Lives Matter, along with the UP Center, organized the event, which started and finished at West Side Park. Organizer Enddy Almonord says Sunday’s event emphasized the