RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 5, 2025
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing June as Pride Month and honoring the Chicago Parks Foundation as sponsor of the AIDS Garden (As Revised)
Body
WHEREAS, on June 28, 1969, the New York City Police Department conducted a raid of the Stonewall Inn, a tavern located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, which for many years had been considered a safe place to gather and celebrate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and people with other identities (LGBTQ+); and
WHEREAS, as a consequence of the raid, patrons of the Stonewall Inn, as well as bystanders and those passionate about LGBTQ+ equality responded with spontaneous acts of civil disobedience that lasted five days and transformed into a larger demonstration of resistance. The uprising at the Stonewall Inn subsequently became the catalyst for a burgeoning LGBTQ+ movement; and
WHEREAS, in June of 1970, in observance of the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn confrontation, activists and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community marched in numerous cities throughout the United States. This display of solidarity transformed into a month-long tribute to the Stonewall Inn upheaval and the LGBTQ+ populace; and
WHEREAS, Chicago has always been at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights. In fact, the first organized campaign is credited as having begun in Chicago in the 1920s. With that historic legacy, Chicago was proudly one of the many cities that participated in the commemoration events of 1970, a tradition that has been followed every year since; and
WHEREAS, now known as Pride Month, June is celebrated throughout the United States with parades, marches, carnivals, parties, and other gatherings. Pride Month has received recognition from several Presidents of the United States, including President William J. Clinton, President Barack H. Obama, and President Joseph R. Biden; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District) has participated in Pride festivities for numerous years. This year in recognition of Pride Month, the District again raised the Pride flag outside of the main office building and each of the treatment plants. Additionally, the District hosted a lunch event on June 2nd to celebrate peace, equality, and community; and
WHEREAS, on June 29, 2025 the City will host the 54th annual Chicago Pride Parade. The theme of this year’s parade is “United in Pride”. For the first time in Chicago Pride history, a local community group will lead the parade: TaskForce Prevention & Community Services, an LGBTQ+ youth-focused health and wellness organization will lead the parade as the inaugural “Out Front” Leader; and
WHEREAS, as part of this year’s Pride Month, the District is proud to recognize the Chicago Parks Foundation, the sponsor of the Chicago AIDS Garden, the city’s first public monument to memorialize those we’ve lost to HIV, and to honor those who continue to fight against the disease. The Garden is just south of Belmont Harbor, at the site of the former Belmont Rocks, an informal gathering place for the gay community until 2003, and includes guided markers, a large sculpture, a native perennial garden, and a grove of ginkgo trees; and
WHEREAS, the District is proud to celebrate the invaluable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals within our community and highlights the strength and resilience of the LGBTQ+ populace; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and our staff, do hereby recognize June as Pride Month and honor the Chicago Parks Foundation as sponsor of the AIDS Garden; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Dated: June 5, 2025