Renee Whitehead said she wanted to give every person who has ever felt that their parents didn’t approve of them the love they deserve. To do this, she planned to hug everyone she could at Sunday’s 2019 Chicago Pride Parade.

Whitehead, of Highland, and her husband, Mike, were dressed in matching “Free Mom Hugs” and “Free Dad Hugs” T-shirts, standing on the East Chicago train platform, giving hugs to strangers as they waited for the train that would take them downtown for the parade. While the words “Free” and “Hugs” were written in black on the shirts, “Mom” and “Dad” stood out in rainbow colors.

“I think you should love who you love, and not be ashamed,” Renee Whitehead said. “Let’s spread love, not hate.”

Chicago had one of the first gay pride events in the United States in 1970, one year after the Stonewall riots in New York. There were no floats or loud music, but there was a sense of community. By 1974, a Tribune headline declared the annual event a parade.

This year, Chicago celebrated its annualPRIDEChicago. pride parade with the theme “Stonewall 50: Millions of Moments of Pride.” The parade is held annually on the last Sunday of June’s Pride month as one of the celebrations put on by

Though the parade began at noon, laughter and conversation filled the train platform at 8 a.m., as people geared up for a day full of pride. For 19-year-old Krystyna Plebanski, of Highland, the parade Sunday would be just a little different from the rest.

Plebanski said she had been to the event two other times, but this year was exciting because it would be the first she attends where she’s out to her family as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I like being in an accepting environment,” Plebanski said. “It’s nice seeing the parades and getting the free stuff, but it’s most importantly the message and being in an accepting area.”

The East Chicago train platform was packed with hundreds of people young and old, covered with glitter and clad in bright, rainbow colored tutus, T-shirts and pants. Flags hung on shoulders and some, like 24-year-old Hannah Skalak, of Highland, even had on rainbow wigs.

“I’m excited to see the parade, but I’m also excited to hang out with my friends and get drunk,” Skalak said, while turning to a group of friends and laughing with a fist in the air. “This is my first time. It should be really fun. First-timer right here — I’m a Pride virgin.”

Kevin Colon, 22, of Highland, said it’s important to be open and proud of who you are, especially with the political turmoil happening right now.

“It is accepted to be an LGBTQ+ person, but there’s this kind of a divide in our country going on right now, to where visibility is especially important now more than ever,” Colon said.

Northwest Indiana will have its own Pride Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 13 in Highland at the Lincoln Center, 2450 Lincoln St. There will be family friendly drag shows, food, free health screenings and LGBTQ+ weddings and vow renewals.

“I think just putting out the flag and showing everybody that we’re not afraid to be who we are is important,” Colon said. “It’s always been important to me.”