Latest news with #LGBTQ+CenterLakeCounty
Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Hundreds rally in Lake County in support of transgender rights; ‘We just want to be treated like human beings'
Lake County was home to a number of demonstrations on Sunday marking the Transgender Day of Visibility. Several organizations partnered to present the peaceful demonstrations, including the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County of Grayslake, BG Pride of Buffalo Grove, Highwood Pride, Waukegan Friends and PFLAG Grayslake/Round Lake. Gurnee, Libertyville and Mundelein were also among the rally locations, with more than 400 people combined participating at the Lake County venues. Attending the rally in Deerfield was a priority for Kristal Larson of Hainesville, the Avon Township clerk and first transgender elected official in Lake County, who also serves as executive director of the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County. 'We are worried about what's happening here in Deerfield,' Larson said, referring to recent events which put Deerfield into the national spotlight with a transgender-related locker room complaint aired by the parent of a girl enrolled at Shepard Middle School. A transgender student using the girls' locker room had the Deerfield parent accusing school staff of forcing her daughter and students to change clothes along with their transgender classmate. 'Deerfield's a community in pain right now for the queer community, especially for the transgender community and the families,' Larson said. 'We've seen a lot of turmoil happen here recently and people are hurting, whether it's from what's going on at the national level, all the way down to here now at the local level. People are concerned. 'This is where we need to be right now,' Larson said. 'This is where the community needs us the most right now.' Robyn Whiteman of Lincolnshire stood near a Deerfield intersection as passing motorists honked their horns in support of the demonstration. More than one Deerfield police car patrolled the vicinity, and one pedestrian across Waukegan Road was heard shouting insults at demonstrators. 'We support trans rights and what's been happening at Shepard,' Whiteman said. 'I'm going to support youth and adults to let them be who they are.' Milo Shapiro of Deerfield, who was also among the rally participants, said, 'I want to feel safe in our country because our country is kind of going down the rails, which is unfortunate. But I want to be able to feel safe, and I want to be able to have a community, and this community is just incredible.' In Highwood, an estimated 100 people turned out for a demonstration at Mural Park at Waukegan and Walker avenues. 'Why am I here?' Harmony Lee of Highwood said. 'Because I love trans people.' Alex Sebastian Versage held a sign that read, 'Please Don't Turn Your Back on Us.' 'We exist. We're here. We're human. We are your neighbors. We're your family. We're your friends. We're loving, caring human beings,' Versage said. 'We just want to be treated like human beings.' DR Smith, president of Highwood Pride, called the Highwood rally, 'a beautiful demonstration of love and support for the transgender community.'
Chicago Tribune
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Rally for Love, Protest for Love event in Buffalo Grove supports transgender rights
A large presence of attendees participated in the Rally for Love, Protest for Love event in Buffalo Grove on Saturday afternoon, along a Chase Plaza sidewalk on the Lake County side along Lake Cook Road, just east of Arlington Heights Road. The social media publicized event had a focus on supporting the transgender community and was hosted by The Pinta Pride Project, a local nonprofit. See The Pinta Pride Project was created by Molly Pinta, then 12, and now a college student. Molly's parents are Lake County educators, Bob and Carolyn Pinta of Prairie View, and all formerly Buffalo Grove residents. Carolyn Pinta is director of the Pinta Pride Project and was, 'thrilled with the turnout. 'I think that it's amazing that this is happening all over our country,' said Pinta, who pointed out recent rallies regarding science and support for transgender people. 'The people are speaking. 'At the Pinta Pride Project, we're always holding up the whole LGBTQ community but we all know that it's our trans brothers and sisters who are really being targeted right now,' Carolyn Pinta added. Holding a 10-foot-long Progress Pride flag, the largest flag seen at the rally on a sunny, breezy afternoon at nearly 50 degrees, was Kristal Larson of Hainesville, Avon Township clerk, the first transgender official elected in Lake County, and executive director of the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County. Winds caused flags of all sizes to often fully unfurl. Larson's flag was first flown at the Grayslake Pride Parade a couple of years ago and, 'It's a lot of weight, I'm not going to kid ya, you can see me leaning back,' Larson said with a smile about commandeering such a large flag in consistent winds for the one hour duration. The flag is also displayed on a wall inside the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County in Grayslake (10 N. Lake St. Unit 103). See About recent events impacting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, 'We're all worried about it,' Larson said. Larson added about the transgender community, 'We're an easy target.' Larson is grateful to be an elected official in Lake County, she said. 'I am so happy that I am able to help others run for office now and advocate for them, have more transgender representation here locally and throughout our nation,' Larson said. Support for the Rally for Love, Protest for Love event also included We the People Mount Prospect, Progressive Palatine and Wheeling Township Democrats. Signage was seen for PFLAG of Grayslake/Round Lake. Susan Bailey of Arlington Heights displayed handheld flags. 'I'm just here to support my daughter and her girlfriend and I think that everybody should just let them live their life and be happy,' Bailey said. Wearing a striped bright rainbow suit was Jen Houghton of Arlington Heights. They/she danced to loudspeaker music as many motorists honked in support with some drivers showing flags in support of Pride. Houghton was here, 'so that hopefully every young person driving past knows that they're not alone and that they're loved,' she/they said. Willa Organ, 9, a fourth-grader from Arlington Heights, stood with a flag with Willa's parent. Willa's pronouns are she/her. Willa noticed, 'the people honking,' she said. Sophia Kuzel, 8, a third-grader from Des Plaines, whose pronouns are she/her and identifies as transgender, was supported by on-site extended family presence. 'I want to support everybody who's transgender and all Pride people,' Sophia said. Sophia's mother Arlene Kuzel, who wore a (Buffalo Grove) BG Pride shirt and held handmade poster signs to support transgender rights, became emotional describing how proud Kuzel is of her daughter Sophia. 'She's amazing,' said Kuzel, who began to cry. 'She's (Sophia) so strong and so brave and doesn't even know it.'
