Pride North illegally charged a $20 entrance fee to the festival on Sunday, city officials say, drawing ire from a queer community that was desperate to celebrate in person after more than a year of pandemic restrictions.
Hadden says she repeatedly spoke to Treacy, who she says denied charging the fees. She says multiple residents called 311, and that Chicago police officers spoke with event workers twice on Sunday about the fees. Despite all the complaints, however, social media users remarked that signs advertising the fee were still up as late as 8 PM, two hours before the event was scheduled to end. When I tried to enter the festival on Sunday, I was told that the $20 fee was required to enter. The woman taking money said organizers just simply “forgot to update the website.”
Pride festivals across the country are grappling with accusations of commodification and corporatization—and for similarly ignoring the roots of the celebrations. Pride originally began as a way to remember the Stonewall Riots of 1969, sparked by homophobic and transphobic police brutality during a bar raid in New York City. But profit-driven actions like what transpired at Pride North have increasingly come under scrutiny amid discussions over the role of Pride in the modern age. Many cities across the country, including Chicago, have held protests and parades to “reclaim” the spirit of Pride.
